Soulmate
by DJ5
Summary: Buffy and Spike have been best friends since like forever. See prologue for further summary.
1. Prologue

Rating: PG-13 but will change to R later

Disclaimer: All characters are © Joss and ME.

Summary: Buffy and Spike have been best friends since like forever. Spike, a little bit of a womanizer considers Buffy as a sister he never had. While Buffy, being a bratty little sister considers Spike as her non-existent big brother whom she follows around. She even sleeps on his bed more often than she does on hers. Anyone can see that these two do belong together except them, of course.

 (A/N: This is my first fic so be kind please and try not to strangle me LOL!) 

**Prologue: **

  
  
The house was almost utterly dark, lighted only by a dim table lamp in the corner of the living room, which was on the right side of the house, near the front door. Buffy entered the house quietly, but she was too tired to attempt not to make any noises. She went straight to a bedroom on the first story, on the left side of the house which was next to the office, without any problem finding it in the dark. From clockwise, the open dining room was surrounded by the bedroom, a door leading to the backyard, a stair leading to the second floor, a closed kitchen and a cabinet full of trophies and picture frames. It seemed to her the path to that room had been replayed in her mind over a million times. She opened the door leading to the room that was just simmered with moonlight. 

The room wasn't quite large but it had its own bathroom. There was a built-in wardrobe on the left side of the door and a study desk on the right. A semi double bed was placed on the corner, next to the study desk and a guitar leaned against the wall by the bed's foot. A large arc-shaped window was facing the door, right in the middle of the wall. Dark green curtains draped open on each side of the window and a bench covered by the same colored fabric, just below the window. A medium-sized bathroom was located on the left corner, next to the wardrobe. 

She dropped her bag and went straight to bed. A lean, muscular and topless figure had occupied the black sheet covered bed, facing her, asleep. She sighed shortly, then went towards the bed and climbed in next to him letting his arms blanket her small figure. He was stirred a little by her distraction, and lifted one blue eye heavily. A little smile crept over his features. 

"Hey, pet!" he murmured. 

"Hey" she replied in a whisper. 

Then they both drifted off to sleep holding on to each other until the morning came. 

  
  
  
__


	2. Chapter 1: Reassurance

**CHAPTER 1: Reassurance**

  
  
"Morning Giles, morning Spike!" greeted Buffy after she came out of Spike's room ready for school. 

She went towards Giles and Spike, who sat next to each other at the dining table, sipping their coffee. 

"Morning, Buffy." 

"Morning, luv," said Giles and Spike simultaneously, both not taking their sight off of the newspaper they had been reading. 

Buffy kissed Giles' cheek and Giles gave her a warm smile. Then she went to Spike and kissed the back of his head, inhaling the scent of his freshly shampooed bleached hair, earning a smirk and a wink from him. 

"So, any plans after school?" asked Buffy as she sat down next to Spike, taking two slices of toast and covering them with peanut butter. 

"Nah...just hanging out with the gang I suppose," Spike shifted his seat, then dropped the newspaper and stood to start cleaning up his dishes. 

"Ooh...don't forget we have to meet after school, remember you have to buy me an outfit because you lost that bet." 

Buffy grinned evilly at Spike, he just groaned at that. The bet was Willow and Xander's coupling. Buffy had reassured him that there were sparks between Willow and Xander, while Spike kept denying that those two were anything but best friends like Buffy and himself. Until one day when school finished, when they caught the brunette and redhead kissing wildly, hands roaming on each other at the back of the school library. Spike was stunned, merely managing to raise a scarred brow at them. Buffy squealed madly, excited that they had gotten together at last. 

"Yeah yeah...I bloody remember! What time should I meet you?" 

"About four-ish, I have to go to Snyder's office first." Buffy scowled at the thought of the students' brain killing machine. 

Spike rolled his eyes, "What did you do this time?" knowing that Buffy had been the picked-on-by-Snyder student of the month. 

"Absolutely nothing. That's why he wanted to see me. He said that I've never attempted to give any effort during gym classes and if it goes like that any further, he'll have to fail me. That bloody killer!" Buffy grunted on the last sentence and took a rough bite on her toast as if it was Snyder's head she was eating. Spike chuckled at her choice of words. This was why spending too much time with Buffy was a good idea if you wanted to turn a native Californian into a British wannabe. 

"Yeah, well, try not to piss him off more often if you still wanna graduate this year. Might as well suck him up if you know what I mean." Spike gave a sneer, a glint in his baby blue eyes. 

"Eew! I hope that's not a part of the _'How to survive high school'_ handbook." Buffy made a disgusted face. 

Spike chuckled again. "Come on, pet! We're going to be late, don't wanna get into Snyder's little playtime again now do we?" 

Snatching his bag, he turned on his heels, grabbing Buffy's arm along as he yelled over his shoulder. 

"Bye, Dad!" 

"Bye, Giles!" Buffy shouted as she almost stumbled over a chair on their way to the front door. 

"Oh, bye kids!" came the reply from Giles after realizing they'd already gone. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

  
William 'Spike' Giles and Elizabeth 'Buffy' Anne Summers had been best friends since like forever. They met when they were little, around five or six years of age, at the house warming party for Spike and his dad which was a few blocks away from Buffy's house. Spike and Giles had just arrived from London after Giles was placed to work in this little town called Sunnydale. Buffy, who had never had a father's loving care after her parents' divorce, considered Giles to be her non-existent father and Spike to be the brother she never had. Spike's house had already seemed to be her second home, what with her having her own keys allowing to access to the house any time she wanted. She even slept more often at Spike's place, due to the tight schedule of her mother's job to fly around the country attending art gallery meetings. Spike, on the other hand, being the only child like Buffy was, had considered Buffy to be his sister as well and Joyce as his second mother, since his mother died after giving birth. The two were stuck together, and became friends with Xander and Willow, their other neighbors. They shared every little thing, even a bed, and felt comfortable with each other snuggling together when they slept. 

  
  
"Hey guys! What's up?" called Xander as he and Willow were walking towards Spike and Buffy holding hands at the cafeteria. 

"Well look at these two lovebirds! Aww...aren't they just getting cuter everyday?" Buffy teased with a wide smile plastered on her face. Spike let out a chuckle when he looked up at his friends, a shy smile and goofy grin registered on Willow's and Xander's faces respectively. 

"So, are you guys doing anything after school?" asked Willow, changing the subject. 

"Well, I have to deal with Snyder after school, much to my dismay. Might as well do to bloody shoot him on the face if that's what it takes to stop that wanker from intruding with my life." 

Buffy growled while stabbing her food with her fork. The rest couldn't stifle their chuckles after hearing Buffy's complaint. 

"What?" 

Buffy snapped, annoyed with the amused looks on her friends' faces. Xander finally burst into laughter and shook his head. 

"Buffy, I swear you're becoming like Spike more and more everyday. Spike man, what the hell did you 

do with our California Buffy? She's turning into British Buffy, what with the choice of words and all." Buffy just rolled her eyes and set them back to focus on her food. 

Spike chuckled again, "I ain't doing nothing to her. She's the one who keeps sticking to me!" 

"I so do not!" Buffy protested, eyes widened. "Yeah, keep telling that to yourself." Spike snorted. Just before Buffy tried to defend herself, the bell rang. 

"Oh, shit! I gotta go, my next class is on the other side of this bloody school. See you after school, luv." Spike gave a peck on her cheek and winked at a pouting Buffy. 

"Xan-man, are you coming with?" asked Spike as he turned his head, looking at the brunette. 

"Of course." Xander brushed a kiss on Willow before he got up. Buffy watched the two young men exiting the cafeteria until their figures vanished. She let out a soft sigh, then turned to look at Willow, who had an amused smirk on her face as she looked back at her. 

"What?" asked Buffy exasperated, shrugging her shoulders. 

"You know Buff, if I didn't know any better, I would have mistaken you and Spike for a married couple," said Willow with a brow arching up. 

"Oh please..." Buffy rolled her eyes again. 

"I'm serious! And you both haven't even graduated high school yet." 

"Willow, we've gone through this over and over again. Spike and I are JUST FRIENDS!" 

"Really?" asked Willow, not believing any single word coming from her best friend. 

"Yes, really! Now, come on! We're gonna be late...again!" With that, the blonde and redhead left the cafeteria that had almost been emptied. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

  
Buffy stomped her feet through the hall with a scowl on her face. Facing Snyder had never been a pleasant thing on her list. She continued mimicking the words he said back in his office. 

"'Miss Summers, if you don't put out any effort in your gym classes, I'm afraid I'll have to fail you. And we both know that physical education is as important as the other subjects, like English and Mathematics. So I suggest you start to think about it more often if you want to graduate this year'. Yeah right, important my ass!" Buffy snorted disgustedly when Snyder's features came across her mind. There was a smug look over the old man's face every time he made her squirm or seethe. 

She reached the steps leading to the front yard of the school. Her eyes searched around the green grass that coated the yard. She finally rested her eyes on a black clad figure with bleached curly hair. A smile began forming on her lips as she walked towards the boy who had been sitting on the steps near the street smoking his cigarette. 

"Hey, been here long?" Buffy tapped on one of his shoulders. 

"Been a while. So what did he say this time, luv? Did he make you think twice about the gym class if you wanna survive this school?" 

Standing up, Spike began walking side by side with Buffy. 

"Something like that. God, why does he have to be so vindictive?" Buffy looked up at the sky as if asking God himself. 

"I dunno, pet. Maybe it just comes straight from the genes." Spike offered a sympathetic smile. 

"Yeah. I guess so." Buffy mumbled, returning his smile half-heartedly. 

"Okay, enough with that bloody killer. Where to now?" asked Spike knowing that it would just brighten her mood. 

"Main street, 'course. You know, I've been eyeing this cute outfit and it's sooo gorgeous..." 

Spike groaned as Buffy start rambling on about the outfit he had to pay for since he lost their bet. 

  
  
  



	3. Chapter 2: Missing You

**CHAPTER 2: Missing You **

  
  
The next day after school, Buffy walked into the empty house of hers. It's almost like it hasn't been occupied by anyone for months. Buffy sighed heavily, already knowing that her mom would be somewhere on the other side of the country right now. She passed through the hall, entering the cold and almost too clean kitchen. Yep! Nobody had been here for a while. She picked up a yellow post-it note attached on the fridge door and started reading it while she reached for a can of diet coke. 

  
_Buffy honey, I have to go to New York for a gallery meeting. I'll be back in two days.  
The money is in my dresser and call me on my cell if you need anything, okay?  
Love you, _

_Mom_

  
Buffy sighed again. She crumpled the note and threw it into the bin near the island. She had been trusted to be left home by herself since she was 15 years old. Joyce Summers, her mother, had never doubted that Buffy would take good care of herself, and Giles or Spike would be over to her house to check on her. Joyce had also trusted Buffy to spend a lot of nights at Spike's place, which was also an advantage because she would not have to worry about her only daughter. 

Buffy slumped into the kitchen stool, taking a good look around at the empty space. The silence of the room made her cringe. This was not a family home supposed to be like. She would give anything to hear a sound, any sound at all, especially her mother's voice. She held the tears back that started welling up behind her eyes. She missed her mom for being not here with her and she yearned for the mother-daughter bonding times that hadn't been done for a while. 

Finally standing up, she dragged herself upstairs to her room to get some clean clothes and toiletries, and put them all in an overnight bag. She climbed down the stairs and checked every locked door before she locked the front door at last. Then she walked on the sidewalk and before she knew it she was already standing in front of Spike's house. 

  
  
Accessing his house with her own keys, Buffy walked past the living room and headed to the open dining room. 

"Hi, Giles!" Buffy flashed Giles a sad smile when she saw him sitting on the dining chair, reading a newspaper as usual. 

"Hi, Buffy. What's wrong?" Giles looked up at her from the newspaper, concerned. 

"Nothing. Can I stay here while my mom's out of town on business?" 

"Of course, you can Buffy. You've always been part of this family, you know that right?" Giles finally dropped the newspaper, giving Buffy his full attention. 

"Thank you Giles. Is Spike home?" Buffy gave a smile again, still looking slightly sad. 

"Yes, he is. He's probably taking a nap right now." Giles offered a warm smile. 

"Well, I'll just go into his room then. Thank you again, Giles. I really appreciate it," said Buffy graciously. "You're very welcome." Buffy gave another weak smile before entering Spike's room quietly. 

  
  
Buffy put down her bag near the foot of the study desk. Giles was right. Spike was sleeping soundly, so peaceful he looked quite innocent and angelic. Buffy smiled at the display, then climbed into the bed, curling up next to Spike. Spike, recognizing the vanilla scent of her, threw his arm over her slim body. 

"Hey, what's up?" he asked, never opening his eyes. 

"Mom's out of town for a couple of days and Giles said I could stay here with you," she answered, starting to close her eyes herself, snuggling up more to him. "Hmm...okay then." They both started to doze off. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

  
Buffy stirred, starting to wake up when she found the other side of the bed was empty. The bedroom's door swung open and Spike poked his head inside, grinning. 

"Hello sleepyhead! FINALLY...You're awake!" Spike walked towards the bed, his hands holding the bed tray with a plate full of bacon, scrambled eggs, sausages and toast, complete with two forks and knives, and two glasses of orange juice. The smell invited Buffy to sit up straight. 

"What time is it? Don't tell me it's morning already," she freaked after looking up at the breakfast meal. "Relax, pet! It's evening now, nine thirty to be exact. Here, let's eat! You must be hungry," he explained while he put the tray down in front of her. 

"Oh. Why did you cook breakfast then?" Buffy lifted her orange juice, draining it to her dry throat. 

"I dunno, just felt like eating breakfast is all," he replied with a shrug, starting to pick up the eggs with his fork. 

"Where's Giles?" she asked again as she filled her stomach with the too-early-breakfast meal. 

"Dad has a meeting with the CEO of Sunnydale University, he'll be back in about an hour or so." 

"Ugh, don't you hate it when they always have meetings here and there?" 

Buffy let out a heavy sigh, frowning. The word 'meeting' irritated her as it reminded her of her mother. Spike looked up at her, arching a brow. 

"What's with the sudden grumble, luv?" by then, he put down his fork and knife and stopped eating. Spike had never complained about the meetings his dad had, and Giles rarely went out of town. So he was never home alone for too long, especially with Buffy coming to his house almost everyday. 

"I dunno...it's just that it kinda bothers me when mom's out of town for meetings. Why don't they just do it here in Sunnydale? Why does my mom always have to be the one who flies around the country?" Buffy pouted from the frustration she felt, her bottom lip jutting out. Spike reached for her cheek, caressing it with his thumb. He really felt sorry for her, for missing her mother so deeply. 

"Well, maybe your mom is not the only one who has to fly around the country. A lot of them probably come from different states. Hell, they're probably from different countries for all I know." 

Buffy started stabbing the eggs with her fork, resting her eyes on them. 

"I just miss her so much, Spike. And I don't think she knows that. I don't think she cares about me at all." 

Sad hazel eyes met concerned blue ones. Spike held her hands with his, rubbing the back of them gently. 

"I know you do miss her, pet. If you want her to know that, why don't you tell her then? After she comes back, tell her what's in your heart. Remind her that you still exist and you don't want to be ignored anymore." 

She nodded softly. A smirk curled in his lips, 

"In the meantime, why don't we finish this up, then we can watch my conveniently recorded Passions." 

Buffy groaned loudly and rolled her eyes at the same time. Spike just chuckled at that. She gave him a smile that hadn't been real since she arrived at Spike's place. 

  
  
For an hour, they talked about everything, mainly about what had been going on at school while they finished the rest of the meal up. Most of the time Buffy fed Spike more than she fed herself since she wasn't a big eater. And most of the time Spike protested to be fed as well. From his point of view, Buffy should eat more than him, what with being so skinny and bony. But Buffy wouldn't have it and won her case when Spike finally gave up and agreed to finish most of the remaining meal. 

"Thank you, Spike. The meal was delicious. You really are a better cook than I am," said Buffy after emptying her orange juice. 

Spike snorted and raised one brow, "And you've just realized it now?" 

"Fine, I knew it for a long time. Satisfied?" She groaned with a roll of her eyes. 

"I will be as soon as you finish cleaning the dishes up. Come on!" 

Spike lifted the tray with one hand and grabbed Buffy's wrist with the other. As soon as they stood in the kitchen's entrance, Buffy widened her eyes and dropped her jaw to the floor. 

"Wha...How..Whe..." Buffy opened and shut her mouth, no words seemed to escape her fully. Spike grinned broadly at her expression. His mind ran wildly at the thought of whether he should throw a bucket of water since she looked like a fish needing it to breathe. OR if he should put a stick to hold her mouth open since it kept opening and closing like a door whipped around by wind. He snapped out of his thought when he heard Buffy finally made a sentence come out. 

"What the hell is going on here? This place is more wrecked than the Titanic!" Buffy shrieked at Spike's smug face. 

"Well, you know the rule, _'Thou who eat the feast and not produce it, shall clear the dishes out.'_" said Spike with pride, grinning evilly. 

Buffy looked helplessly at the amount of the dishes stack in the sink, not to mention the dirt from the seasonings and small amounts of grease oil surrounding the stove. She heaved a sigh and hung her head down. 

"I knew it this was too good to be true, having a nice meal without any payment back" 

"Aww...now don't be too dramatic there, luv. I've put hard work into cooking the meal, you know," Spike tried to be serious now, keeping a straight face and suppressing his smile. Buffy glared at him, then looked back at the sink. Whether she liked it or not, she had to clean the dishes up. Hell, she probably would have to clean the whole kitchen since it WAS really a big greasy mess. Otherwise Giles would be freaked out and she might not be able to be allowed to stay at his house anymore. 


	4. Chapter 3: Exchange Students

**Chapter 3: Exchange Students **

"Hey, have you heard, there are two exchange students coming to school today?" Buffy chimed in, sitting next to Spike. 

"Yeah, so I've heard. What's the deal with 'em anyway?" asked Spike sipping his soda. 

"Well, one of them is a guy for one thing," Spike, Willow and Xander groaned and rolled their eyes at that instant. 

"Hey!" Buffy felt offended. 

"Let me guess, he's cute, gorgeous and charming, right?" Willow raised an eyebrow at Buffy. 

"And a poofter too!" Spike scoffed. Buffy smacked Spike's arm hard. 

"Oww! Watch it, lady!" Spike growled. Buffy just stuck her tongue out at him. Willow and Xander only shook their heads at the display. 

"Then I suppose the other one is a girl right?" Xander started grinning excitedly, gaining a you-glance-at-her-once-and-you're-a-dead-man glare from Willow. 

"Yes, and she's from England," Spike glanced at Buffy at the statement. Everything related to his home country always interested him. That might be why he still had his British accent even though he'd been living in Sunnydale for almost his entire life. 

Their attention was suddenly distracted by the cafeteria's door, which swung open and displayed a slim figure dressed in black with long raven hair. Her make-up was rather thick with eyeliner swiped on almost half of each eyelid and a ruby lipstick tainted her small lips. A smile curled up on her lips when everyone stared at her presence. 

"S'that her?" asked Spike, never blinking one eye at the sight. 

"Yeah, it is," Buffy confirmed with a disgusted face, disapproving of the intruder's look. 

"Well, ladies and gent, I gotta jet. Better work on my move now. Bye, people!" Spike blasted off before the others could open their mouth to say anything. They just shook their heads at Spike, who was approaching the girl with a sexy smirk plastered on his face. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"Err...excuse me, can you tell me where I can find Room 314?" A broad shouldered, rather bulky figure stood behind Buffy. She jumped at the sudden voice at the back of her ear lobe. His deep and low voice sent her shivers down her spine. She swung her body around to see the owner of the voice. The brownest eyes she'd ever seen stared down at her, towering over her. 

"Um...uhh...i-it's just at the end of this hall, on the left," Buffy stuttered as she pointed the way behind her with her index finger. He looked at the pointed way briefly, then looked back at her. A smile began forming on his lips as he stuck his hand out to her. 

"The name's Angel, Angel Fitch. I'm an exchange student here from Ireland for a semester." Buffy took his hand and shook it briefly. 

"I-I'm Buffy Summers. I'm a permanent student here for like uh…forever." Buffy kept staring at his eyes, still startled. Angel gave a charming smirk as he dropped his hand to his side. 

"I better go then. Don't wanna be late for the next class. I'll, uh...I'll see you around Buffy. It was nice meeting you." With that, Angel passed by Buffy, brushed his arm with hers lightly, and headed to the intended room. 

"Bye, Angel. See you around," Buffy whispered as she stared at his retreating form. 

"God, I'm such an idiot!" Buffy slapped her forehead with her hand and started walking down the other side of the hall. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"So...how's your little introduction with Miss I'm-beyond-Satan Goth?" Buffy propped herself in a couch. 

"Well, if you're really desperate to know, pet, I got myself a date this Saturday," replied Spike proudly, lifting his chin up. 

"Nice work! What's her name? Wait...let me guess…is it Evil-Blood-Sucking-Fiend?" said Buffy lamely, still putting a little sarcasm on her sentences. 

"Good try, luv. But no, her name is Drusilla Walters and she's a fine girl, kinda has a mysterious side there, which REALLY turns me on." 

Spike had a dreamy look on, still ignoring her sarcasm. 

Buffy snorted at Spike's reply, "Mysterious, my ass! What, she's murdered someone brutally before?" Buffy placed her legs on Spike's lap as she made herself comfortable. 

"Hey, at least I got a date with the new girl. What've you got? I saw you in the hall not making any progress with the ponce, I granted." Spike glared at her, his eyes turned into slits and his brows drew together making a frown. 

"Yes, I did! I-I..." 

"You what, luv?" Spike interrupted her with an expectant look. 

"I know his name..." Buffy piped up, lifting her chin up. 

Spike snorted, "Yeah well, everyone can bloody know that from the administration." 

"Stop it!" Buffy began yelling at him, irritated. 

"Stop what? You're the one who started the sharp tongue argument." 

"No, I didn't." 

"Yes, you did" 

"No, I DIDN'T!" 

"Yes, you bloody DID!" 

"What in the bloody hell is going on here? I'm trying to work over there and I can't even hear myself talking on the phone." 

Giles stepped in the living room with papers clutched in his hand, yapping in frustration. Both Spike and Buffy shocked at Giles' barking. 

"I-I'm sorry, Giles. I didn't know you were here." 

"Yeah, dad. I'm sorry too. We'll be good, right Buffy?" Buffy nodded promptly. Giles let a long sigh, trying to calm his temper down. 

"Fine. I just go back to work then. Sorry about the yelling." 

"It's alright. It's technically our fault though," said Buffy, feeling bad. 

"Glad you know it," Giles said sarcastically, rolling his eyes and shaking his head as he returned to his office. There was a silence for a few seconds. 

"Wow. I've never seen Giles like that. That was one big angry Giles-like wolf back there." 

"Yeah it was. I suppose he's too stressed out from his work." They both nodded quietly, still taken aback by the transformation of a calm-and-quiet Giles into a wild-barking Giles.


	5. Chapter 4: A Little Playtime Called a Da...

**Chapter 4:** **A Little Playtime Called a Date **

Buffy, Willow, and Xander were sitting at their usual table, chatting and laughing while trying to shove the tedious cafeteria food into their stomachs. Spike was nowhere to be seen. He was too busy chasing the new exchange student. A rather huge intruder dressed in black with brunette hair interrupted their laughter. Willow and Xander looked up at the young man who stood behind Buffy. 

"What?" curious, Buffy turned her head to see what her friends were looking at. 

Buffy became startled as she stared at just right below the man's waist. For a few seconds, she registered what she stared at in her mind, taking it appreciatively at the sight. Shaking her head, forcing herself back to reality, she slowly looked up the man's face, which had a nervous smile on it. 

"Hi, Buffy!" he greeted softly, almost like a whisper. 

"Oh...H-h-hi, Angel!" Buffy managed to find her voice and felt her face burning up. 

"I um...Can I talk to you for a sec?" The nervous smile Angel had, turned into a shy one. 

"Yeah, sure." Standing up, she started to walk away from the table, taking a brief glance back at her friends. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

"Well, well...looks like someone is glowing. Quick, hide me somewhere. It's too bright up here! I'm turning into dust!" Xander hid his head behind Willow's back. Willow just giggled at her boyfriend's action. 

"Ha ha! Very funny, Xander!" Leaning over the table, Buffy smacked Xander's shoulder hard, making him almost fall back from his seat. 

"So...what were you talking about? Did he ask you out? Where? When is it gonna be? Come on, spill it already!" Willow tormented her best friend with questions. 

"Whoa...whoa! Hyper girl, chill out!" Buffy tried to calm her too-excited friend. Xander put his hand on top of Willow's and patted it to calm her as well. 

"Okay, first yes, he asked me out on a date. Second, it's this Saturday and we've decided to go to one of those Italian restaurants on Main street. So there you have it. And ooh...we exchanged phone numbers too." Buffy's tone rose up at the last sentence, grinning like an idiot. Willow joined in her excitement but Xander just smiled at Buffy, trying to be happy for her, while he knew there was somebody better for her. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

Willow rolled her eyes when her best friend kept complaining that she didn't have any outfits to wear for the date. 

"Buffy, just pick one already! Don't worry, whatever you wear, he'll be just speechless as soon as he sees you," Willow reassured her friend with her famous resolved look and a nod. Buffy sighed in desperation. "Okay, okay....Geez Willow, impatient much?" Buffy glared at her. Willow just smiled sheepishly. 

She took a look at her wardrobe once again. Then she picked a light blue tank top with two strings on one side, which could be pulled to wrinkle and shorten that side, making the hem turned into a diagonal. The neckline was v-shaped, showing a little cleavage. The skirt she chose was a black A-shaped skirt, the hem reaching almost to her knees. It was a hip hugger, showing a little skin on her taut stomach. 

"Okay, how about these two?" Buffy held the top in her right hand and the skirt in the other, both pieces hung with hangers. "That's perfect! It's simple, but it's enough to make Angel drop his jaw to the floor," exclaimed Willow with a wicked grin. Buffy giggled at her best friend's statement and expression. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

Willow did have potential to be a fortune teller, judging from the way Angel opened and shut his mouth repetitively like a fish needing water to breathe, but couldn't find a word from the moment he saw Buffy's feet start descending down the stair until he rested his brown eyes on her face. Angel just stood near the door, too struck by her beauty. Buffy's face enhanced her beauty with a soft make up applied. Soft blue eye shadows swiped on each eyelid with long eyelashes, her eyebrows arching delicately and her lips tainted with glossy bubblegum lipstick. Her hair was curled into small loose strands creating a wet and sleek look. 

"Hi Angel." Buffy smiled awkwardly because Angel kept staring at her, stunned. 

"Hi...Buffy" Angel's reply was more like a whisper to himself. He blinked several times as he tried to snap out of his daze. 

"Um...we better go now. The reservation is at 7, right?" 

"Right," Angel confirmed. 

"Okay then, I...just let me say goodbye first to my mom. Mom!! We're leaving," Buffy called her mom over her shoulder. A few minutes later Joyce made her walk through the hall nearing the two teenagers. 

"Well, have fun you two! And Buffy, be home by 10, okay!" 

Buffy nodded, and kissed the older Summers' cheek before they walked out of the house. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

"Wow...this place is actually not bad at all," Angel complimented, looking around the restaurant. It wasn't really packed that night, so it was quite good for having a nice quiet dinner and some conversation. Each table had two small candles lit inside crystal glasses. The tablecloth was white, covering the round table. 

"Yeah, it is." 

Buffy smiled shyly when Angel stared at her again for a full minute. They passed several awkward moments before Angel started to speak again. 

"Um...I saw you and Spike together a lot at school. Well, besides Willow and Xander I mean." Angel bowed his head down when he mentioned Spike's name. 

"Oh…yeah, of course. Spike and I have known each other since we were kids. So we've been best friends for like forever. I remember this one time when we were seven or eight..." 

Buffy's face lit up as she started rambling on about the moments Spike and she shared through the years. 

Angel's heart broke a little when he looked at Buffy's face light up at the mention of Spike's name. He tried to tell himself that this was her very best friend they were talking about. So her face becoming glowing and radiant was quite reasonable, right? Riiighhtt. 


	6. Chapter 5: A Broken Heart

**Chapter 5:** **A Broken Heart **

"I still don't understand why you're dating that skanky ho of all people." 

"Hey! Don't you dare call her that name!" 

Spike pointed one long index finger at Buffy, feeling offended when she called his girlfriend, Dru, a name. Buffy just rolled her eyes as she put his finger down. 

Spike did never have great taste in women, but Buffy could understand that since he was never really serious about any of them. But this woman was beyond worse! Buffy rather let Spike date any other girls he pleased, even two or more girls at the same time, than let him get involved with Drusilla seriously. 

"Oh, come on. How can you not see that? That girl is just using you. Oh wait, of course you CANNOT see it since you are SO MADLY in love with her. Geez Spike, your taste is sooo getting worse now." 

"And your taste is better than mine? God, Buffy you could have chosen a better man than that wanker!" Spike snapped, clenching his teeth. 

"Hey! He IS better!" Buffy snapped back. 

"Better than who? Scott Hope, who turned out to be gay? Scott was a bloody lot better than that whelp, I'll have you know that. Too bad he was more interested in me than you!" 

Buffy suppressed her chuckle at his last sentence. But she put her angry face back on. 

"But he's nice...gentlemanly, friendly..." 

"And boring!" Spike added. 

"He is soo not boring!" Buffy defended her boyfriend. 

"Yeah? Then what was the last topic he talked about yesterday?" Spike challenged her, his blue orbs dared her hazel ones. Buffy was silenced a little while, thinking of an answer. 

"You see, you don't even remember any bloody words that came out of his mouth." 

"Yes, I do! I-I just tried to decide which one I should tell you about." Buffy's voice sounded more like in a frustration, her mouth started to curl into a pout. 

"And besides, it's not like you even remember any words she spoke either!" Buffy changed the object of their argument. 

A cocky grin started to form across his lips. "Well, pet. That's because we didn't need to speak at all." Buffy's eyes widened, her nose scrunched making a disgusted look on her face. 

"Okay, eew!! I so do NOT need the image. Thanks for the thought, Spike!" Buffy glared at his smug look as she tried to block all the images of Spike and Dru doing God knows what. 

"What?!?" Spike's expression turned innocent. 

"God, why did I have to discuss this with you?" Buffy threw her arms in the air, shaking her head a little. 

"Need I remind you pet that YOU'RE the one who brought up this little conversation." 

Buffy sighed heavily, silently admitting that he was right. She hated when she was the one who brought up an argument and lost it to Spike. "Fine. But I still think that she's just using you. Don't you know that she'sBEYOND worse than Harmony? She's like the queen of all queen bitches in SunnyD." 

Buffy shuddered at the thought of someone a lot worse than Harmony, the Miss Popular-with-no-brain. Thank god, Spike never thought of dating Harmony. If he had, Buffy would have practiced to hypnotize Spike to leave her or do voodoo on Harmony if the first one didn't work. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

For two whole months Spike and Buffy dated Drusilla and Angel respectively. Even though they kept bickering about the other's partners, about just how wrong their choices were. 

Angel kept listening to more stories about Spike and Buffy together and he began to doubt if he was good enough for Buffy. He didn't hang around Buffy's friends much, especially when Spike was around. He couldn't afford to see Spike and Buffy laughing at each other's jokes without any awareness that they were actually seeing someone else. He just couldn't ignore the sparks of jealousy in his mind every time Buffy smiled warmly at Spike and he smiled back. And his heart kept breaking bit by bit whenever he caught a glimpse of Buffy's face scowling at the sight of Spike and Drusilla together. 

Buffy walked inside Spike's house, passing by the living room and went straight to his room. She poked her head inside the empty room and called out his name. 

"Spike?" 

She waited a few seconds to listen for an answer, but it was silent. Buffy pulled her head back and closed the door. She darted her eyes around the space, trying to catch a glimpse of a tall bleached young man. She finally caught a red dot burning like a fire and a smoke winding up in the air, outside in the backyard. Buffy headed to the backyard and sighed in relief when she saw the person she'd been searching for sitting on the wooden step. 

"Hey, bleached boy! What are you doing? I'm taking it that Giles isn't here, huh! What with you smoking here and all," Buffy started talking as she took a seat next to him. Spike threw the cigarette to the ground and stomped it off with his boot. "You know, if I were you, I would've thrown the butt somewhere far from this house coz Giles would know that you've-" Buffy cut off her sentence when she looked at his face with the help of the backyard light. 

Spike's once-crystal blue eyes looked dead and empty, tears have glistened his cheeks as he pursed his lips together. Buffy's heart wrenched at the sight of him. She would kill any one who made Spike's features turn into this. 

"Spike, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice clearly filled with concern. She reached his shoulder and rubbed it, trying to ease his pain. 

"You were right, Buffy. You were right all along." Spike's voice came hoarsely followed by his forced laughter. He shook his head slightly as he bowed it down, refusing to look her in the eye. 

"I was right about what?" Buffy's voice softened as she sympathized for her best friend. 

"Everything. Everything about her. She-" Spike paused a little while, trying to compose himself. "She's nothing but a bloody skanky ho." Buffy suppressed her smile when he used the words she said about Drusilla earlier. But from the sorrow that washed over his features, she knew that he did love Drusilla. It was a shame that his girlfriend never appreciated him. 

"She cheated on me, Buffy. She's been cheating on me all these months. And…and I was stupid enough not to realize that she was just using me," Spike finally broke down as he finished his sentence. 

"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry." Buffy pulled him into her embrace. He rested his head on her shoulder as he held onto her for a dear life. One of Buffy's hands touched his head, caressing the strands of his hair as the other stroked his back gently with the same rhythm. She whispered soothing words in his ear as he sobbed and choked once in a while, soaking her blouse's collar. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

Drusilla's face was filled with laughter as she chatted with the most annoying spoilt brats, Harmony and Kendra at one of the benches in the school's front yard. Buffy tightened her jaw at the scene in front of her. Her teeth gritted, full of hatred for the long raven-haired girl. 

How could she laugh like that after she'd been caught cheating with Parker, the jock who didn't even know how to spell the word 'unbelievable'? Parker's brain was built from a combination of Harmony's useless mind and some pot junkie's, so go figure. 

Buffy stomped her boots, heading to the group and grasped Drusilla's arm, swinging her around to face her. "Can I talk you for a sec?" Buffy didn't wait for an answer as she pulled Drusilla with her, finding a good spot to give the black dressed slim form a piece of her mind. 

"Ow! You're hurting me." Drusilla jerked her arm from Buffy's grip. 

"Yeah? Well maybe you should think about it before you hurt someone else." Buffy shot a death glare at her. 

"What the hell is your fucking problem?" Drusilla hissed, shooting a glare back at Buffy. 

"MY. FUCKING. PROBLEM is you hurting my friend by cheating with some bastard who wasn't even worth a piece of trash like you," Buffy started yelling as she closed her distance with Drusilla, only inches apart from each other's noses. Drusilla pulled her head back, stepped back a little as she finally recognized whom she was talking about. 

"Oh, you mean Spike." Drusilla sneered. 

"Yes, I mean Spike! Unless there are still other guys who haven't woken up from your evil hypnotism and realized that you were just a little British tramp ready to be thrown out of this country." Drusilla's face now burnt up, seething. Buffy scoffed at the sudden change in Drusilla's façade. She began to speak again. 

"You know what, I can understand you going after Parker since he doesn't have a brain at all. But Spike, he doesn't deserve to be treated like this. He-" 

"No! He. Doesn't. Deserve. Me!" Drusilla cut Buffy off with her words, pronounced harshly one by one. "And I suggest you take him back to your little place coz I no longer need his service." Drusilla gave a sinister smile before she swayed around and began to walk off. 

Buffy felt herself fuming, her ears turning red and her heart beating fast, uncontrollably. Before Drusilla managed to walk a foot away, Buffy caught her arm and swung her around again. She swayed her right hand with all her power, which then landed on Drusilla's smooth pale cheek and left a red hand marked on it. Drusilla touched her now sore cheek with her hand before she started boiling. 

"You bitch!" 

Drusilla jumped onto Buffy's body and the two young women started rolling on the green grass yard. Drusilla cried in pain as Buffy began pulling her hair. She tried to reach Buffy's hair and started to yank it as well. A crowd formed as the two still rolled across the ground, trying to be on top of the other's body. 

Some people gasped and whispered at the scene, but most of them cheered at it, amused by the sudden free entertainment. As Buffy was on top of Drusilla's body and started to choke her to death, two strong arms grabbed her waist and dragged her off of Drusilla. Buffy struggled over the grip, then howled when Drusilla managed to leave a scratch on her ivory cheek with her long black pointy nails. 

"You are not getting over this so soon. I'll be haunting you day and night! NOBODY messes with MY BEST FRIEND!!" Buffy yelled at the top of her lungs as she struggled over the tightened grip on her waist, her legs flying in the air. Her body was brought further from the crowd and Drusilla. Buffy was then dropped on the ground as soon as the crowd was nowhere to be seen. Those two arms swung her around, forcing her to face the other figure in the eye. She gasped in horror at the person in front of her, looking none too pleased. 

_to be continued_


	7. Chapter 6: Recovering

(A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, guys! You have been really great! =D Now, go read and review kiddies!)

**Chapter 6: Recovering **

Spike searched around the school's front yard. Almost half of the school residence filled the green grass coated yard. He promised Xander that they'd go to the Bronze to play pool…and probably pouring what was in his heart into their man-to-man conversation. 

A large crowd that started gathering caught his interest. Most of the teenagers were cheering at something that obviously amused them. He sauntered towards the crowd, curiosity taking over him. He nudged a guy's arm to ask what was going on. 

"It's chick fight, dude!" The guy he asked replied him in excitement. 

Spike still couldn't see clearly the people who had been engaging the crowd's attention. He pushed himself forwards to see the view in a better spot. Some of the people reluctantly gave way for him to be close to the object of the entertainment. 

He was bemused as the said chick fight became thrilling. It hadn't been five seconds when he recognized the girls involved in the fight. His amused face screwed up into furiousness. Without any further thought, he walked towards them and hauled up the petite blonde head that now sat on top of the raven-haired girl. He tightened his grip as she struggled to be free. Then he dragged her far from the crowd that turned its attention to the two blondes. 

Once they were in a safe and quiet place, Spike dropped her and turned her around. Her face turned into shock the moment she looked at him in the eye. "Spike!" Buffy shrieked at the cold blue eyes. Spike took a deep breath, trying to put his temper down. 

"What.The Hell.Was.That.About?" 

Spike pronounced the words carefully, he clenched his teeth still attempting to calm himself. His British accent sharpened like a knife slicing through her throat. She winced at the thought. After twelve years of friendship, Buffy had known that when his British accent got sharpened, it meant that Spike was REALLY pissed off. 

"I-I was giving a piece of my mind to that whore. I was trying to defend you…" Buffy's eyes pleaded. 

"It's not any of your business, Buffy!" Spike snapped. 

"Well IT IS if it involves my best friend!" Buffy snapped back, raging. 

Spike's face softened, heartened at Buffy's reply. He put his head down for a moment before he faced her still fuming face. 

"Buffy, luv, I know you care about me. And I really appreciate it that you defended me. But sometimes, it's better to let it go, especially when it involves some sort of humiliation." 

Spike flashed a quick gracious smile. Buffy sighed heavily. She didn't want to argue with Spike right now, especially when he was still hurt by that brainwashing slut. As much as she wanted to put more scratches on the raven-haired girl, she knew better that it wouldn't do anything to help her best friend mend his heart. So she reluctantly decided to let it go. 

"Alright. I swear I'm not gonna bring this matter up again. I just...I don't wanna see you get hurt is all. It's bad enough to see you with a girl of your bad taste and have a serious relationship with the worst girl you've ever had." 

A smile curled over Buffy's lips when she saw Spike chuckle. She closed her distance and put her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug. Spike, accepting her hug, wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled back when he heard her whimper. The scratch on her cheek reddened and worsened by the minute. 

He touched it lightly, afraid to hurt her. 

"Does it still hurt? Come on, I'll take you to the school nurse." Buffy nodded in agreement and they started to walk inside the school building. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"Hi, Honey! How's school today?" Joyce called out when she heard Buffy open the front door. Buffy didn't reply, she instead made her way to her bedroom but was caught by Joyce's arm first. "Buffy? Oh dear god, what happened?" Joyce gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth. Buffy still didn't say a word. She just bowed her head down. 

"Come to the kitchen and tell me everything. Now," said Joyce sternly as she pulled Buffy by the arm to follow her to the kitchen. Joyce then seated her only daughter to one of the stools and she seated herself next to her. She lifted Buffy's chin up with her index finger, demanding an answer. 

"Buffy? What happened at school?" She repeated her question as she touched her daughter's scratched cheek with her thumb. Buffy winced a little at her touch. It obviously still hurt. 

"I-I...had a fight with Drusilla, you know Spike's psycho girlfriend. Well, actually ex-girlfriend after he caught her cheating with Mr. No-brain-at-all..." Buffy stopped her ramble when she looked at her mom still watching her with a stern look. She held her head down again. A worried look plastered on her face as she silently counted the number of months she would be grounded. 

"Way to go, Buffy! Say, did you leave a scratch on her face as well?" Buffy almost fell off from her stool when she heard her mom's response. She looked up to see if the person in front of her was really her mom, not some alien pretending to be her. 

"Wh-who are you? Y-you're not my mom! What have you done with my mom? My mom would never ever in a million years say those kinds of things!" Buffy stammered, eyes widened. 

She started to climb down from her stool and back away from Joyce. Her mom just rolled her eyes as she climbed down from her stool as well, walked around the island and took an orange juice jar from the fridge. 

"I honestly don't like her either. She's...what was the word you said before? Oh yes, psycho...too psycho for William I suppose." Joyce poured the orange juice in a glass and handed it to Buffy. 

Buffy was silenced for a few seconds, thinking as she drained the glass. "When did you meet Drusilla? Please don't tell me that Spike brought her to this house." 

Buffy cringed at the thought of that psycho woman entering her house and started tearing apart her bedroom. Oh my god! What'll happen to Mr. Gordo if she really was here? 

"No, William did not bring her to this house. Even if he did, I would've thrown her out of the house before she landed one foot on the floor." 

Buffy giggled as she imagined her mom swinging Drusilla's slim form to the front yard and the horrorified look on Spike's face. "We actually happened to meet at the mall when I did my grocery shopping. That girl kept shooting me death glares when William was talking to me. I didn't know what'd gotten into her. At first I thought she was actually cross-eyed, but it turned out that she's just really...you know, psycho." Joyce grinned at her only daughter. Buffy burst into laughter as Joyce finished her tale, but then flinched a little when she realized that her cheek was still sore. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

For weeks Buffy took care of Spike while he mended his broken heart. She spent almost 7 days in a row sleeping over Spike's place, just to make sure that he wouldn't do any crazy things like killing himself or watching too many episodes of recorded Passions in one day. She even hid all available knives and anything with sharp edges from his kitchen, which started irritating Spike since he couldn't use any tools to fix meals. 

Angel was also getting irritated. Every time Angel asked Buffy to go out on a date, she always made excuses saying that Spike was still in bad shape and he really needed her to be there for him. 

"Spike, my vanilla body spray is run out. Did you get a new one yesterday?" Buffy called out from Spike's bathroom. Spike barely managed not to roll his eyes right that second. 

"Nooo...because I don't need one," he answered in a sarcastic tone. Although he never admitted that he liked it more if he sniffed it on her body. 

"By the way, why did you buy this blue Listerine? I don't like this one. I told you the green one is better." Buffy made a face, she put the Listerine bottle away and started brushing her teeth. She had suggested to him hundreds of times to buy the green Listerine because she thought it was much better. But Spike kept saying no since he was the one who used it and he could buy any type of Listerine he wanted to put in his own bathroom. 

Already getting annoyed, he stomped his boots to the open bathroom. "Buffy, remember the house at 1630 Revello Drive? You know, the one with the big pretty tree in its front yard?" 

"Huh?!?" Buffy answered, dumbfounded. She automatically stopped her brushing. "Yeah I thought so. You see, pet, THAT house is owned by the Summers. And guess what, YOU'RE one of them! But for some reason you don't even live there because you enjoy my place too much and as much as I like your companionship, I'm lacking of my bleeding privacy here!!" His tone rose up at the last statement. Buffy didn't really catch his ramble but she did hear his last sentence. She was silenced for a few seconds doing what seemed like thinking. Spike almost felt guilty of his previous words. 

"Oh relax, Spike! You are so NOT lacking of your privacy. What about when I was at school? You get your privacy at that time." 

Buffy shrugged her shoulders. Spike almost popped his eyes out at her as if she had grown a second head. He couldn't believe the words she just said. He just yelled at her with overloaded sarcasm, asking her to live in her own house but she just said RELAX?!? Hellooo!! Privacy crisis happening over here!! 

"Buffy, WE go to school together remember? So when at THAT sodding time am I going to get some privacy?" 

Buffy bit her lower lip, smiled sheepishly at him. Spike just shook his head, feeling a headache coming on. Having this non-existent bratty little sister was more than enough. Thank god he didn't have a real one! 

"Okay, fine. I promise you're gonna get your privacy back. But...not until friday-" 

"What?!?" Spike asked incredulously. Buffy gave another sheepish smile. "Please Spike...my mom won't be back from Boston till this friday and I sooo do not want to be alone at home for four days!" 

Buffy held four fingers up. Her hazel eyes turned into puppy ones, pleading. Spike rubbed his temple with the heels of his fingers, his headache really hit him hard this time. He let out an exasperated sigh. 

"Fine. But you're going to sleep in your own bed by Friday, do I make myself clear?" 

"Crystal. Now about this Listerine-" 

"NO!!" 


	8. Chapter 7: Ultimatum

**Chapter 7: Ultimatum **

"Aahh...finally, weekend's coming! Don't you love that?" Buffy plopped herself down on the cafeteria chair. 

She was very tired ever since last period. It was physics, taught by Mrs. Walsh, the most boring and killer teacher Sunnydale High ever had. Thanks to Xander who kept nudging her to wake her up, Buffy managed to get away from Mrs. Walsh's special detention, which was for students who dared to sleep or make trouble during her class. 

"Uh-huh." Willow just nodded, not taking her sight off of her chemistry textbook. Buffy rolled her eyes at her best friend's simple response. 

"Willow, will you give it a rest? It's Friday! You're NOT supposed to study on Friday..." Buffy grabbed the textbook and put it on an empty seat. 

"Hey!" Willow's eyes shot up at Buffy, her lips pouting. 

"Don't you have anything better to do? Beside torturing yourself with chemistry book." Buffy took a gulp of her drink, drenching her throat. 

"You mean like having a bet with Xander to see how long you're gonna keep denying to yourself that you're in love with Spike?" 

Buffy spit the liquid from the drink out, choking. Willow just raised her eyebrows as Buffy coughed, trying to recover from her choke. Willow silently thanked god that the liquid didn't spray on her as she leaned back on her chair. "What, you didn't think I wouldn't know your little bet with Spike?" 

"How did you-" Buffy coughed again. Her eyes began to water as her cough wasn't getting any better. 

"Well, let's just say that Spike once accidentally slipped, telling Xander that he had to buy you an outfit because he lost it." 

"Oh," was all Buffy could say. She smiled sheepishly when her mind practically screamed 'BUSTED!!' 

"Buffy, you believed that me and Xander were so into each other but you kept denying that you've got the same thing going on with Spike. You two are-" 

"Best friends. That's all we are. Will, what I have with Spike is totally different with what you've got with Xander. We...are just like brother and sister. Y'know, he's like my big stubborn-ass brother and I'm...like his bratty little sister. Hmm....no wonder he kept yelling at me whe-" Buffy started to ramble on to herself but was cut off by Willow. 

"Buffy! Will you listen to me? You two are NOT like siblings, believe me! I can literally see the sparks flying around above both of your heads whenever you two start talking or arguing." 

Buffy held her head down, silenced for a while as Willow waited for her response. She let out a frustrated sigh, looking up back to her best friend. 

"Can we change the subject please?" she asked desperately. 

"No!" Willow answered quickly, a stern look set across her face. Buffy sighed again. 

"Well then can we at least get another soda? I'm really thirsty and you know if I really get thirsty...." Buffy got up from her seat, grabbed her bag and started walking while she desperately babbled about anything to change the subject. 

"Buffyyyy…" Willow groaned, exasperated with her best friend's childish reaction. She reluctantly followed Buffy, exiting the cafeteria. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

Angel let out a heavy sigh as he watched a petite blond head rummaging her locker, a sad and worried look clearly registered over his features. The hall was empty, it seemed that everyone already gone home. He strolled over to her with his fingers clutched together nervously. 

"Hey Buffy!" 

"Oh, hey yourself! What's up?" A wide smile plastered across Buffy's face. 

"It's just that we haven't been out together for a while and there's this event going on at the Bronze and I was wondering if we could go together..." Angel let out a long breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in. His mind ran wildly at all the possible answers she would give this time. 

"Well...you see, Spike's still in a recovering stage right now and he needs me more than-" 

"ME??? Buffy, I need you too! Why is it always about Spike, huh?" Angel was infuriated, he was too tired to keep up with Spike. Buffy, on the other hand, was shocked by Angel's abrupt yelling, but then enraged herself. 

"Angel, Spike IS my BEST FRIEND! And as his best friend I have to be there for him at his rough times. You'd know that if you had one of your own," Buffy started yelling as well. She inhaled deeply, trying to keep her temper down. She took one step closer to the still irate Angel. 

"Look, you can't make me choose between you and Spike. You both are two different people and mean so much to me," said Buffy in a lower voice. 

"Well maybe I can." Angel glared at her, taking a step back. 

"What?!?" she asked, disbelief taking over her features. 

"I can't do this anymore. You either choose me or him. It's your call." 

"Angel, you're being ridiculous!" Buffy shook her head, not really liking to be put in this position. 

"I'm being ridiculous? What about you? Spike is NOT a five year old kid. He can take care of himself." Angel paused for a few moments before he continued. 

"Buffy, I can't keep wondering if I'm still the one you want. I need you to choose. Me. Or him. What's it gonna be, Buff?" 

In the back of his mind, he prayed that she'd choose him, that all his doubts were wrong. He stared at Buffy who was looking back at him, still in disbelief. It was the tensest moment in his life. He felt sick in the pit of his stomach as he waited her to respond. He could feel sweat started moistening his palms and handsome face, anxiety controlled over his whole form. A drop of the salty water trailed down the side of his forehead, crossing his jaw line. But he wiped it quickly, almost too harshly. 

Buffy couldn't believe what just happened in the last five minutes. For almost five months they'd been going out and everything was fine until today, until this last five minutes. There were no signs, no small fights or arguments and there it was...he just dropped a bomb in front of her! And they were fighting over Spike? Spike, her very best friend, her non-existent big brother, her family...and the object of their fight. This was outrageous!! Why would he be jealous of Spike, of all people?? 

But she did like Angel a lot. She cared about him so much, although she wouldn't dare to say that she was in love. But she was willing to find out. She knew he would be good for her. He cared about her. He loved her and he would sacrifice everything for her. However, enough was enough. Angel was also a man with needs. With needs to be loved, to be cared by the woman he loved. Their future was in her hands, but she would do anything to pass that to another person. Her head was aching when she forced her brain to come up with a decision, the toughest decision she had ever had to make in her entire life. 

_to be continued_


	9. Chapter 8: Decision

(A/N:** WARNING:** I'm sorry to disappoint you guys about the following Buffy's decision. But pls read anyway!)

**Chapter 8: Decision **

The cool air breezed through the empty hall. The silence was sickening to her. She never liked a quiet place, let alone standing inside with a person who waited in demand for an answer that she couldn't provide. 

She looked back at him. His pleading eyes searched for an answer in hers. She knew she had to give him her choice, but her voice appeared to be gone. 

She swallowed hard before she tried to find her voice again. "I'm sorry Angel. I can't-" She paused as she inhaled deeply. "I can't break my friendship with him just like that. I-I'm sorry..." She whispered her last two words. 

Angel nodded meekly in understanding. He already expected this, he'd been prepared for this, but he couldn't keep his heart from breaking apart. He could feel the sting in his eyes, tears threatened to fall but he held them back. 

"Well if that's what you decided, I can't do anything about it, now can I?" Angel forced a tight smile. "It's not like I'm gonna see you again in a month, so that won't be a problem right?" He continued, let out a hoarse laughter. 

Buffy winced at his forced laughter, her heart broke for him. She really did like him, but she knew she had to let him go. She had two good reasons for that. One, which was clearly about Spike, and second was that she didn't think she could make this relationship go as far as she could after Angel went back to his country. Being separated by ocean and islands was too much for her to bear. She wasn't the type of girl who would wait for her boyfriend to call every week at the same time, or email him everyday whenever she could. Plus, computer and internet were not her things. She was a more face-to-face person. 

"Well then, I guess this is goodbye." 

"Yeah, I guess it is." Buffy nodded slightly in agreement. Her voice came as a whisper, almost couldn't be heard. 

Angel took one last long look at his former girlfriend. "Goodbye, Buffy. I love you, you know that right?" 

Buffy nodded again, tears began streaming down her cheeks. She bit her bottom lip to seize her cry. "Bye Angel." 

With that Angel turned around and marched away from her. Buffy finally let out a loud sob she'd been holding onto as soon as his retreating form disappeared. 

  
*****

Buffy gazed down at the sleeping bleached head for a while. Her eyes were swollen from the lament she did in the school's hall. She smiled tightly. 

'At least I still have him on my side.' Buffy thought. She climbed over the bed and wrapped her arms around him, burying her head to his naked chest. She inhaled the scent of his cologne that still lingered on his body. 

Spike stirred, feeling company on his bed, who wrapped herself around him. He looked down at the top of her head. He could feel the sadness taking over his non-existent little sister, judging by the way she held him in desperation. 

"Buffy, luv. What's wrong?" he whispered. 

"Angel and I...we broke up this afternoon," Buffy answered simply, still resting her forehead, refusing to look up to him. 

"What?!? Did he cheat on you? I swear if he ever did that, I'll kill him..." 

Spike was now sitting straight on the bed. Buffy lifted her upper body to sit up too. He looked at her swollen eyes and felt himself fuming. His experience of being cheated on suddenly came across his mind. 

"No, he didn't cheat on me. We were just...never meant for each other, you know?" Buffy lied. She didn't want to tell him the real reason because it, it would make him feel real guilty and responsible-- and awkward. She knew that he felt a brotherly love to her. The question was, did she feel the same way to him? 

Spike tilted his head to the side. "Buffy, are you sure?" He looked at her skeptically. Buffy only looked down to the bed sheet and nodded weakly, tears began flowing again. 

His heart clutched for her. Nobody dared to break her heart with Spike always ready to lung them whenever he saw a hint of sadness on her façade. 

"Oh baby, come here." Spike pulled her to him, smoothing her hair as he kissed the top of her head. She rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist as he leaned against the wall. 

"Why can't I find a guy who can totally trust me?" Buffy whined as she choked on her sobs. The tears fell down Spike's chest, but he ignored them. 

"Maybe because they can't handle such a beautiful bird like you, pet." Spike smiled down at her. 

"Spike, stop it..." He chuckled when she swatted his chest playfully. A weak smile curled over her lips. He really did know how to make her smile and forget everything bad happened. They sat there in a comfortable silence, enjoying the companionship of each other. Buffy soon found herself dozing, still clutching on Spike's body as he leaned his head on top of hers drifting off to sleep. 

(A/N: Oops! Sorry, I forgot to mention that the previous author's note only applies to B/A fans.Y'know I'm a spuffy, NOT a bangel and this is my story anyway. ;) Review please!!!! )

_to be continued_


	10. Chapter 9: A Spark Of Jealousy

(A/N: LOL!! Sorry for scaring you guys with my previous notes. I can be a lil' insane and well, evil sometimes **snickers** Anyway, thank you for the reviews and don't forget to keep doing it, kay ;) )

**Chapter 9: A Spark Of Jealousy **

A month went by real fast and Buffy thanked heaven for that. She couldn't stand running into Angel with his wounded puppy eyes. Her mind kept blaming her for breaking his heart so cruelly. But come to think of it, it was Angel who gave her the ultimatum and she didn't really have many choices. 

She never filled Spike in on the real reason for their break-up. Fortunately, he never pushed her to talk about it either. That was one of the things she loved about him. He believed that whenever she was ready, she'd come around and pour her heart out to him. 

On the other hand, Spike kept shooting death glares at the brunette whenever he saw him. If it weren't for Buffy who made him promise not to harm him, he would have sent that git to hospital by now. Nothing could terrify him but Buffy's anger explosion. He knew he was whipped, even though they weren't a couple. But he cared for her too much to make her not talk to him for months. 

As the time for Angel and Drusilla back to their countries came up, Buffy gave a brief goodbye and an awkward hug to Angel on his last day. Spike didn't even bother to see Drusilla for the last time since she was too busy making out with as many guys as she could before she left. 'That slut!' Buffy seethed when she caught her kissing a guy hungrily near the girls' bathroom. 

  
*****

Spike was reading a newspaper on the couch with the telly on. He flipped the pages several times until he found something remotely interesting to read. He chuckled at the headline, 'Real life ugly duckling. A mother gave birth to 7 babies at once, 6 normal and 1 with four arms'. 

Buffy saw the brief smile pass over Spike's handsome face. He seemed to enjoy his reading and she grinned wickedly at that. She just looooved making Spike annoyed when he tried to relax. She walked quickly towards him, jumped and crashed herself on his lap, making the newspaper crumple. Spike, who didn't see it coming, jumped a little from his seat, then groaned at Buffy's amused face. 

"Hey, what's up?" Buffy's grin widened from ear to ear. Her arms clung to his neck. 

"Buffyyy...Can't you see I'm reading here??" Spike was already irritated. 

Buffy looked at the crumpled newspaper he was still holding for a brief second. Her face turned to look innocent. 

"Wow! I didn't know you read the newspaper. Is this some kind of the new and improved Spike?" 

"Nooo...it's the kind of I'm-trying-to-enjoy-my-time-so-sod-off Spike!" Spike gave a fake smile. 

Buffy scrunched her eyebrows as if she were thinking of something serious. She then shook her head at him. "Hmm....I haven't heard of that kind of Spike. Is it new? Where did you get it?" Buffy's face now turned into a fake excited one. 

Spike groaned again, he tossed the newspaper to the coffee table in front of him. "Buffy, what do you want?" He was getting real impatient, his face had a bored look on it. 

"Nothing..." Her face turned to be innocent again. "Well except this party going on this Friday at the Bronze and I don't have anyone to go with since Willow is obviously going with Xander and I so do not want to be their third wheel and since you're free...so, come with me!" Buffy finished her overly long sentence with a hopeful wide smile, displaying her perfectly white teeth. 

Spike heaved his sigh. This chit was impossible! If she weren't practically family to him, he would have thrown her out of his house before she could finish her babble. He hung his head down but was soon held up by Buffy's hands on each side, turned to face her. 

"Please Spike...pleasepleaseplease..." She pleaded, her hands shook his head momentarily, making his face crumpled. Spike just rolled his eyes. 

"Fine. I'll go with you." 

"Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Buffy kissed his chiseled cheek real hard, causing Spike to scrunch his face. 

"Now move! My show is on!" Buffy moved from Spike's lap and put a couch pillow on it for her head to rest on. Spike instinctively mussed her strands with one hand while his eyes glued on the screen. 

  
*****

The music was thumping really hard, making every patron's eardrums crack. 

The male singer was screaming at the top of his lungs while he squinted his eyes, covering his eyeballs from the overly bright stage lights. The club was mostly filled with over-raging hormone teenagers. Every single corner of it was occupied by couples sucking face. 

Buffy squeezed herself into the crowd as she made her way to the teen couple that was seated around the table, near the stairs. She held Spike's hand tightly as he trailed behind. She surely anticipated with tonight's event by dragging him along to make sure he wouldn't miss the excitement she felt. One of the bands that were playing tonight was her favorite one. It was called 'Dingoes Ate My Baby'. 

"Hey, you made it!" Willow piped up when she saw her two best friends had arrived. 

"'Course we did. Has my 'band' played yet?" Buffy secretly wished that she'd arrived before the club opened. She wouldn't miss her favorite band for the world. 

"No, not yet. But I think it's their turn now." Willow tilted her head to point to the stage where the next band had just walked on and was preparing for their gig. 

"OOH!! YAY...GO OZ!!!" Buffy squealed as she cheered at the electric blue haired boy who was holding his bass guitar. The said person looked up and smiled briefly at her. 

Everyone in that table was smiling at her behavior. They knew she had a crush on the blue spiky haired musician ever since they had their first gig at the Bronze. Too bad he already had a girlfriend. Buffy looked around the packed club. His girlfriend must be here somewhere. She never missed his gig at all, just like Buffy never missed it either. She smiled briefly as soon as she spotted a shoulder length brunette on the table right in front of the stage. Damn, she always got the best view! Feeling someone staring at her, she turned around and smiled back at the blonde head. She whispered briefly at her friend's ear, then hopped down from the stool and started walking towards Buffy. 

"Hey, B! You're here. Looking good tonight!" She offered a wide grin to her. Buffy flashed a grin back. 

"Thanks, Faith! Wouldn't miss your boyfriend's gig for the world!" Buffy tried to find courage to introduce herself to the band since they had their first gig, and she did. The members of the band were quite nice to her, especially Oz. Even though he never had many expressions to be shown, he was still her favorite one. She was a little upset when he introduced his girlfriend, Faith. But she'd gotten over it once she found herself quickly blend in with her. The slim figure, who was one inch taller than her, was an easygoing woman. She never tried to scare her boyfriend's fans away or threaten them. Instead, she simply gave a warm smile to every fan her boyfriend introduced. 

The rest of them turned their heads to the stage as the band started playing the tune. Faith excused herself to go back to her original seat. "I'm gonna go for a smoke. Be back in five minutes." Spike announced it straight to Buffy's ear, knowing that the music empowered the club, it would be impossible to say something if it was not right to her eardrum. Buffy only nodded, her eyes still attached on the stage. 

The drum sound was blaring throughout the club once the hard rock music was tuned. It had been more than ten minutes, she realized. Where could he be? He usually went straight to their table once he finished one good long fag. He knew Buffy was allergic to cigarette smoke, that's why he went outside for her sake. Another ten minutes passed and the band just ended its last song. Where the hell was he? Buffy looked around as she asked the teen couple in front of her. 

"Have you seen Spike? Where is he?" she muttered under her breath. The teen couple that was gazing into each other's eyes broke their contact. 

"No. He'll be back soon," Xander said casually. He draped an arm around his girlfriend's seat as he leaned back to his own. His eyes started searching around for the bleached boy, attempting to help his friend, who was in wonder. 

Willow, on the other hand, stared at the worried blonde girl. 'What was she so worried about?' She stepped out of her wonderment after she spotted the peroxide head approaching a beautiful blond figure. "There he is!" Willow stopped her best friend's search, pointing at the black clad boy with her tiny index finger. 

Buffy's gaze followed the angle her friend's finger pointed and landed on the person she'd been worried about. Her lips broke into a smile but soon twisted into a frown. There, Spike was making his way to a slender blonde head. The girl who was approached gave a coy smile to him. He leaned forward to whisper something in her ear and she laughed at it. 

Buffy puckered her brows at the scene. She knew he ended his last relationship earlier than she did. But wasn't it too soon to start a new one?? No. This wasn't about it. This was about something else. What was it? 

She kept staring at them while they were deep into conversation. That blonde girl certainly looked nice. Unlike Drusilla, with only one glance, Buffy knew she'd never like her. This girl was totally opposite of Drusilla, so she didn't have the right to hate her. She was quiet sweet and Spike seemed to enjoy her companionship. But then, there was still this thing...this thing that made Buffy feel the need to hate her. Her blood was beginning to boil. Her face burned slightly red, but not from flushing. It was from anger. But why?? Then there was a tinge... a tinge of... jealousy??? Waaaitttt a minute!! Where did that come from?? Buffy felt a frustration from her inner monologue. 

She grabbed her purse and got up. "I'm going home." She stated without looking at the teen couple. 

"Shouldn't you wait-" 

"No." She cut Xander off while she stomped her boots towards the exit door. Xander stared at her retreating form, then glanced at the blonde couple. 

"Do you think she's...?" His voice trailed off. 

"Yeah, I think she is." Both Willow and Xander chuckled at the petite blonde who was vanishing through the exit door.

_to be continued_


	11. Chapter 10: A Visit from LA

**Chapter 10: A Visit from LA **

She dragged her light green flip-flops through the hall absentmindedly. The memory of last night's event kept bugging her. She still didn' t have the answer as to what came over her when she left the Bronze abruptly. Unconsciously, she dug her nails into her textbook and started peeling the chipped edge of it. 

"Hey, pet!" Spike panted after catching up with her. He draped an arm around her shoulder but she shrugged it away. He was a bit taken aback by her dismissal. She never rejected his embrace, alternatively she usually responded it by putting her arm around his waist. It was a habit when both of them were single. People kept mistaking them as an on and off couple. Not once in their mind, they thought that was just the way the two blondes showed their affection to each other. Buffy walked a little faster and a few feet ahead of Spike. He frowned at her reaction but soon jogged as he caught up with her again. The memory of last night suddenly came across his mind. 

"Are you okay, Buff? Your mom said you weren't feeling well last night." He had been frantic when Willow and Xander told him about her hasty departure. He called on her house but her mom said that she wasn' t feeling well. He could hear a worry in Joyce's voice, which was enough reason for him to visit her that night. But once he got there, Joyce told him that she was already asleep, an apologetic look on her beautiful aged face. 

He put a palm on her forehead to check if she'd gotten a fever, his palm moved to her cheek, caressing it lightly and finally landed on the crook of her neck. She leaned against his touch as she closed her eyes for ten seconds. She flipped her eyes open when she realized what she was doing. Quickly, she grabbed his hand from her neck where a shred of scarlet started spreading, flooding her face. "I-I'm fine," Buffy started as she recalled the reason she'd given her mom when Spike called. She told her that she had a headache and was going to go to bed immediately. She pretended to sleep soundly once her mom checked on her and was going to announce that Spike was in their house, worried as hell. 

Buffy set her eyes on her feet as they shifted nervously. "I know it's not my business…well, yours wasn't that long…" She looked up to him, her hazel orbs inquired for some permission to intrude with his love life. Spike was clearly confused when he drew his brows together and tilted his head to the side. "Although mine was more recent but-" She started to walk, leaving him to catch her up again. "Do you think it's wise to…yes, it probably is…" She stopped her feet and tilted her head, looking back at him as if waiting for his response. 

The young man in front of her hadn't had a single clue what she was babbling about. He came to a halt, tilting his head as well. Confusion was still marred across his façade. "Uh…Pet, You know I've never used this word but nothing can describe my confusion besides 'huh?!?'" 

Buffy twisted her lips a little when she realized her words didn' t make any sense at all. She pondered for a moment, whether she should ask what the hell he was doing, coming on to that blonde girl. "Never mind." She resumed her walking process, but soon stopped again. Spike almost bumped into her, he stepped back a little to prevent further collisions. 

"I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly last night, I-I had a headache. Did…did you have a good time with um…with that blonde girl?" She didn't feel comfortable at the mention of his companion last night. 

"Oh, you mean Anya?" 

"Anya?" Buffy repeated her name, it was unfamiliar to her ear. "Yeah, Anya Jenkins, the girl I talked to at the Bronze. I'm telling you, that girl blew me away!" Spike chuckled, shook his head a little. Buffy widened her eyes. 

She felt that tinge again…that tinge of jealousy. She held her head down when she managed to squeak her response, "Oh. Really…" "Yeah, she amazed me more every minute." His voice showed some enthusiasm, he chuckled again. Buffy's nails dug deeper into her book, she gritted her teeth and was tempted to rip her own hair violently while he continued complimenting that Anya girl. 

"Glad you enjoyed your time so much," she said between her clenched teeth, sarcasm dripping dangerously. 

"Well, I don't think 'enjoy' is the word for that." Her eyes shot up to him, puzzlement replaced her annoyed expression. "What do you mean?" 

"I didn't say 'amaze' was a good thing, luv. You see, Anya was one sodding blunt chit. She was too bloody honest, even for me. And she kept telling me how she loathed bunnies and wished that every one of them in this bleeding planet would be sliced and diced." He grinned and shook his head slightly, still in astonishment. 

Buffy was perplexed at his explanation. She never expected this Anya girl actually scared him away, by the look of how they enjoyed their conversation last night and flirted shamelessly with each other. She burst into giggles and for some weird reason his explanation truly relieved her. 

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Buffy sat on the couch, remote control in one hand flicking through channels and the other feeding her mouth with a bowl of popcorn. A knock on the door brought her mood down immediately. She tried to ignore it a few seconds, wishing whoever was at the door would vanish right this second, but her mom wouldn't let her have it. "Buffy, would you answer the door please! My hands are full right now," Joyce demanded. 'My hands are full too! With popcorn and remote control obviously' Buffy mentally complained. 

But she reluctantly dragged herself off of the couch and headed to the front door as the knock pounded harder and more frequently. "I'm coming, I'm coming! Will you stop pounding the door, it'll collapse any sec-" Buffy swung the door open and hung her tongue in the air when she saw a figure standing in front of the door, smiling brightly at her. Regaining her consciousness, she blinked twice and started screaming. 

"CORDY!!! I can't believe you're here!!...Why are you here?" Buffy beamed as she hugged the short haired brunette, but she soon pulled back and looked at her skeptically. 

"What, can't a girl visit her beloved cousin sometimes?" Cordy looked surprised, acting like she was hurt. 

"Oh, please. The last time you sent me a postcard was when you were in Venice, only saying 'Hi, I'm in Venice right now'. So you won't be possibly JUST visiting us," Buffy mimicked mockingly the message her cousin had written in the postcard that she got a few months ago. She raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms across her chest. 

Cordelia Chase was Buffy's closest cousin. She moved from Sunnydale to LA five years ago as soon as she graduated from high school to pursue a modeling career. Ever since she moved, Buffy felt like she lost one of her best friends, although they kept in touch once in a while, what with Cordy's schedule, flying around the planet. 

"Buffy, who is that by the door? And why are you screaming?" Joyce's voice came closer as she headed to the front door as well. 

"Hi, Aunt Joyce!" Cordy greeted her as she gave her a bear hug and a kiss on her cheek. 

"Oh hello, Cordy! What are you doing here in Sunnydale?" Cordy rolled her eyes when she heard the same question coming from her aunt. 

"See, that's what I asked her too! She won't come here unless there was something to interest her, which I doubt was us, Mom," Buffy chimed in, raising an index finger in the air as she accused her cousin. 

"What?!? Of course not. I come here to visit you guys because I love you, AND because I miss you all a lot." Cordy put an assuring look on her pretty face. Buffy folded her arms across her chest and cocked an eyebrow again, still not believing a word she said. "Uh-huh. Is that right?" 

"Yes, it IS! Why is that so hard to believe?" Cordy threw her arms in the air, exasperated. Joyce turned her around and gave a stern look. "Cordy...is that why you came here?" Cordy sighed and paused for a second. "Okay, I came here on a business trip but-" Cordy finally gave in but she was cut short by Buffy's squeal. 

"A HA! See, I was right, wasn't I!!" Buffy gave her a triumphant look. 

"Yes, but I did want to see you guys. Besides, it's been a long time since I've had a slumber party with you, Buff." Cordy grinned wickedly. Buffy's eyes widened and she grinned back from ear to ear. "You mean you're going to stay with us! Arghhh....this is so cool! I'm sooo happy you're here!!" Buffy squealed again as she jumped and grabbed her cousin for a tight hug once more, so tight Cordy couldn't even breathe. 

"Err...Buffy...I uhh can't breathe…" Cordy's voice came as a squeak. 

"Oh...sorry Cord!" Buffy let her go and smiled sheepishly as her cousin tried to breathe normally. 

Joyce only stared at the two young women, smiling to herself as she silently thanked god that Buffy would not be home alone for a while. Feeling her aunt's intent stare, the brunette turned her head to look at her. "Oh. If that's alright with you, Aunt Joyce," said Cordy, finally realizing that she hadn't asked for her permission to stay. 

"Of course, dear. You're always welcomed to stay here anytime you want." Cordy smiled thankfully at her. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"You have your own key??" asked Cordy incredulous, eyes widening when she saw Buffy rummaging her bag for a key and jamming it inside Spike's front door's lock as soon as she found it. "Yep. Giles gave it to me three years ago and Spike didn't mind at all." Buffy pushed the door open and walked inside the house with Cordy trailing behind. "Spike, you're home?" Buffy called upon the empty living room. Nobody answered. They walked further inside heading to the open dining room. 

"Wow. This place is exactly the same as when I left Sunnydale years ago," Cordy commented, amazed at her surroundings. She then walked to the cabinet full of trophies and picture frames. She stood in front of it for what seemed like forever, studying the pieces one by one as if they were the most precious art sculptures. Buffy on the other hand, had already gone inside Spike's room trying to find something that she left there. 

Spike entered his house quietly just in case his dad was already home and asleep. But it was still 8 pm, so Giles couldn't be sleeping at this time. He shrugged the thought off and strolled inside the house until he reached the dining room. Spike stopped his feet instantly when he saw a slim tall rear form standing in front of the cabinet. 

"Uh...hello, there! Are you lost, pet?" said Spike blatantly. The brunette girl turned around and squinted her eyes as she tried to recognize the young man in front of her. 

"Spike?" She asked in awe, not believing what she saw. The boy she used to know years ago was a nerd. I mean, REALLY a NERD with thick glasses and a brown tousled curled head. He was thin and not so tall for average kid at his age. But now, this boy turned into a sexy, hot, muscular, gorgeous, delicious you-name-it man with the glasses evidently already thrown off and bleached spiky hair, still curly somehow. 

"Cordy?" Spike managed to find his voice at last as he regained his perception, though he was still mesmerized by the beauty of the young woman in front of him. 'God she's beautiful, as always' Spike thought. 

"Yes, it's me. God, you've changed so much. I mean look at you, you've become a hot sexy hunk. I bet every girl's just drooling all over you, am I right?" Cordy gave him a wink and wide smile. 

"Well, not every girl. You're not drooling all over me. So that's an exception, right." A hint of sadness engulfed his face but he soon shrugged it off. He then gave her his sexiest smirk as he took a step closer. He could see her blush slightly, making his pride run wild. 

Buffy, hearing a conversation, left Spike's room. 

"Oh, hey Spike! I see you made a move on my cousin already." Buffy teased, but that tinge appeared in her heart again. She had known that Spike had had a crush on Cordy since he was ten years old. But being five years younger dragged his hopes down after Cordy had stated that she didn't go for a younger man with more than 2 years difference. He was crushed when Buffy told him that Cordy was engaged a year ago with some British man working in the fashion industry. Now she wasn't sure if Spike had gotten over his crush just yet. 

"Wha'?!? No, I did not...although, if you were interested, pet, you still can call your engagement off and leave your worthless fiancé for me." Spike gave Cordy another smirk. Buffy groaned and rolled her eyes at the same second as she walked off to the kitchen. Cordy let out a rich and clear laughter. She brought her hand to pat Spike's cheek. 

"I'm sorry, Spike. You know, I can't. And I WON'T leave Wesley for you. But if I hadn't known him before, I would've fallen all over you. Besides, you're too young for me, remember!" 

Spike groaned, rolling his eyes at her last statement. 'Here we go again. She won't fall for me if I'm not less than two sodding years younger! This is not bleeding fair!' Spike mutely grumbled. 

"Oh well, tough luck eh, pet! Gotta give a bloke one last go before you marry that git." Spike gave a wicked wink and mischievous grin at Cordy. 

"Oh, come on Spike! There must be a girl somewhere out there that will capture your heart and make you fall for her head over heels. Don't worry, you'll find her!" said Cordy, giving some hope and courage. 

"Well, I did actually. I mean after you, there's this girl at school, an exchange student in fact. But I don't really wanna talk about her today. Right now, I wanna talk about you. So what are you doing here in good ol' Sunnydale?" Spike tried to cheer himself, changing his mood to a pleasant one. 


	12. Chapter 11: Words of Wisdom

**Chapter 11: Words of Wisdom **

Buffy, Spike and Cordy walked into the Bronze. The club was quiet packed for Monday night. The trio then headed to one of the tables as soon as they caught sight of Willow and Xander chatting face to face, hands linking together and they had an I'm-in-my-own-fantasy-world-go-away look. 

"Hi, guys!" Buffy chimed in. Willow and Xander said 'hi' back, still staring at each other intently and completely ignoring her. Buffy frowned at them, eyebrows drawing together. "Hi, guys!" Cordy now had a go, hoping her voice would gain their attention. It did. 

Willow and Xander stopped smiling at each other when they heard Cordy's voice and finally turned their heads to her. 

"Cordy? Oh my God, you're here!" Willow squealed excitedly when she saw the short brunette. 

"Yes, I am" Cordy replied smiling as she wrapped herself around Willow and Xander for a group hug. 

"Tsk tsk tsk...Damn Cordy, you look hotter and hotter every time I see you, girl!!" Xander complimented her, arms folding on his chest and head shaking lightly as he took the whole sight of her in appreciatively. 

"Why, thank you Xander. You look good yourself. I see you picked on a girl and turned her world upside down tonight," Cordy teased, glancing at Willow who was blushing like a ripe tomato. 

"I did indeed. And while you're here, let me introduce her to you. 

Cordy, this is Willow, my girlfriend 6 months running," said Xander proudly, puffing his chest as he wrapped his arm around Willow's waist. Willow blushed again. Cordy couldn't stifle her giggle and the others soon joined her. 

"I'm so happy for you guys," Cordy stated as she pulled them into a group hug again. Willow and Xander thanked her simultaneously. 

Buffy, Willow, Spike and Xander then filled Cordy in with the hot gossips and facts in Sunnydale through the years she'd been missing out. Cordy told them her adventures of going to places around the world while she was on business trips. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

Buffy and Cordy were dropped off by Spike at Buffy's place. Her mom was out of town, again. But Buffy was quite happy having Cordy for her company at home. They were extremely tired from the Bronze and it was midnight already. Still, Cordy kept her promise to have a girl's talk during the slumber time. 

They lay on Buffy's bed side by side in a darkened room, one telling jokes to the other. 

"Hey, Buffy. Have you realized what an incredibly yummy body Spike has?" 

"What!?!" Buffy yelped in giggles, incredulously surprised. She never thought of taking an appreciative look at Spike's body. That's why the question Cordy threw her was a bit bizarre to her ears. "I know I haven't seen him naked but just from the look of his tight shirt and tight jeans that wrap his body, I can tell he at least has a nice muscley abdomen. A six pack too!" Cordy wiggled her eyebrows, trying to picture him without clothes on. 

"I-I-I never see him that way," Buffy said in oddness, doubt in her voice. 

"What about when you sleep over at his place? Ooohhh...silly me, you must be sleeping in the guest room now, huh?" Cordy slapped her head lightly when she realized that her cousin and Spike had grown up and wouldn't be possibly still sleeping together on the same bed. Buffy felt an oddity swim through her. For the first time she was reminded that she and Spike were not kids anymore. But breaking a habit she shared with him would be hard and…abnormal. 

"Well...actually, we still sleep on the same bed, Spike's bed." She declared, almost shamefacedly. Hearing her respond, Cordy weighed her body on her elbows as she raised her upper body up to look at her cousin in the dark. Her eyes wide open and her delicately shaped eyebrows rose. She observed her cousin to find a confirmation on her statement with the help of the moonlight. 

"Buffy, you DO know that you're almost 17, right?" Buffy rose her upper body up as well, adjusting to Cordy's level. 

"Yes, but it's a habit, Cord. I-It's kinda hard to break, and I don't think Giles has a problem with that." The blond felt guilt strike her although she didn't know why she should feel it. 

"Ooo-kaayyy...so I assume you still snuggle up together, huh?" Buffy gave a sheepish smile and a meek nod. "Then how come you never notice his body? You literally touch him every hour, Buffy! Are you blind or are you just dimwitted??" Cordy shook her head incredulously. Her cousin surely was innocent and TOO naive! She used to listen to the blond's whining about being not able to find a perfect guy while there was an almost-too-perfect man always beside her everyday. 

"That's because we always fall asleep almost instantly," Buffy said honestly. Cordy raised a brow again. 

"Wow! Is that right? Hmm…Maybe I should borrow Spike for snuggling up if he can make me sleep during my insomnia." Her brain started to work on her schedule to make a 'sleep over' appointment with Spike. Buffy swallowed hard. Uneasiness filled her as she registered the brunette's words to her brain. The idea of Spike and Cordy curling up on the bed that had become her second bed discomforted her, even though it was her own cousin. That's not right. It was her bed, and he was her Spike. Whoa…hold on there, girl!! Since when did she own the bed?? And most importantly, since WHEN did she OWN Spike??? Cordy watched different expressions played across the blond's faç ade, from awkward to determined then wandered until confused. 

"Buffy, you okay?" she asked in concern. 

"What!?! Oh. I-I'm fine, I'm fine," Buffy assured her with stammering. Cordy gave a sweet smile to her. She knew her cousin must have thought about the words she said. 

"So, what's new with you? Any boy season so far? I don't think I' ve heard you talk about a new guy since Scott." She changed the subject to ease Buffy's discomfort. 

"That's because I couldn't contact you at all, Cord! You keep moving from one country to another. Aren't you supposed to get a dual band cell phone? I heard it's quite handy for someone who expects her cousin to dish all the juicy stuffs going on in Sunny D." Buffy glared at her. The brunette girl just smiled sheepishly. 

"Oops! Sorry…there was something wrong with it before and for your information, it can't be used in all countries, so forgive me for not being able to be reached." She rolled her eyes and cocked an eyebrow up. 

"Well, what about email? Don't tell me you don't know how to login." 

"Of course I know HOW to login. I'm not that helpless with Internet y'know. Beside, you know how chaotic my schedule is…" Buffy rolled her hazel eyes. "Yeah, I know. But you get to travel around the world, doesn't that excite you?" She lay on her back again. 

"Sometimes, but mostly I just keep trying to cope with my jet lag." There was a brief silent before Cordy spoke up again. "You still haven't answered my question." Buffy took a deep breath as she struggled to decide if she should tell her cousin about her relationship with Angel. "There was actually. A guy, an exchange student from Ireland. His name was Angel." 

"Angel?" Cordy raised a delicate eyebrow again at her cousin as she suppressed her chuckle. 

"Don't even start!" Buffy warned her, throwing a murderous glare at her. 

"I'm sorry, go on!" Cordy apologized. Just before her cousin opened her mouth to continue, she interrupted her again. "But Angel? What were his parents thinking? I can understand if that's for a girl, but this is a guy we're talking about, right? What, his face is angelic or something?" 

"Actually it is. But that's not the point, you want me to tell you the story or not?" Buffy was getting annoyed. She glared at her cousin again. 

"Okay okay, I'm not gonna interrupt again. Please, tell the tale." Cordy laid herself on the bed again, next to Buffy. 

Buffy took another deep breath before she continued. She told her everything right from the time they met till the reason she broke up with Angel. Once she finished, she looked at her cousin expectantly for feedback. Cordy was silent for a brief second while she took in Buffy's tale. She sat up straight and turned to look at her. 

"Buffy, have you NOT realized what you've done to him? From the story you told me, he wasn't a jerk type of a guy." 

"Yes, but he made me choose! Everything fell apart because he's just jealous of Spike. God, could there be any lamer reason?" Buffy joined her cousin in a sitting position. Cordy reached her arm and planted her own hand on it. 

"Well, I have to disagree with you. That wasn't a lame reason, Buffy. You and Spike are always attached to each other. And everyone but you two can tell that you both are so right together. Why can't you see that?" Cordy reasoned with her in a big sister attitude. 

"We're maybe right together…but as siblings, nothing more." Buffy insisted. She was getting fed up with this. She and Spike had a special friendship, why couldn't people understand that? Why did they keep expecting this special relationship to be something more? To be something that involved romance? 

Cordy let out an exasperated sigh. Her cousin was too stubborn, but she still loved her. And she was sure Spike loved her too. 

"Fine, if that's what you want to believe. But trust me when I tell you that if you don't tell him how you really feel, you're gonna lose him forever." Buffy set her eyes on the white comforter as she absorbed Cordy's words. Her fingers twisted and played with her top's hem absently. A few seconds passed in awkward silence. 

"Well, I'm off to bed then. Nite, Buff. I love you." The brunette gave a sisterly hug. 

"Nite, Cord. I love you, too." Buffy mumbled as she hugged her back before Cordy sauntered towards the door. 

Buffy propped herself down on her bed again, she stared intently at the ceiling. Her mind drifted to one certain bleached curly head. Was it true she had feelings for him? Sure, she cared about him. But was there more than that? She recollected the discussion about his body with Cordy earlier. As far as she could remember, Spike did have a great body. But she never gawked at it, never in her mind came the thought of taking in his form appreciatively. Now she wasn't sure if she could face him without trying to gawp at his body especially when he was asleep…half naked. 

(A/N: Review please!! =D Come on…you know you want to…LOL!)

_to be continued_


	13. Chapter 12: Dangerous Thoughts

**Rating: R **

(A/N: Yes, kiddies…the rating changes to R now. **grins evilly** Why, you ask?? Hm…lemme think…some flesh exposing involved, a bunch of eyes widening, a lack of sleep…oh well, just read it, will ya? OOH…and don't forget to review! You know, I'm addicted to it ;) )

**Chapter 12: Dangerous Thoughts **

Cordy was working while Willow was on a date with her boyfriend, Xander. Joyce went to New York for a conference and Buffy was left alone by herself. The only place she could think of right now was Spike's place, the place where she could feel as her second home with a warm welcome. 

Buffy went to Spike's room and climbed over the bed, starting to curl up against him as usual. She closed her eyes as she draped one arm on Spike's waist and stroked his back lightly. Just when her palm reached above his bottom, she froze, eyes flustered open. 

His lower body wasn't wrapped in a piece of clothing. She practically jumped from the bed. Her hazel orbs got even wider when Spike startled and sat straight immediately at her shock. His features mirrored hers. 

"Spike, what are you doing?!?" Buffy shrieked, her heart pounding real hard. She put a hand on her chest as if lowering her heart rate. 

"Wha'?!? I thought you're gonna spend time with Cordy as much as you can, so I assumed you're not gonna come over here then. That's why I took this advantage to sleep naked as much as I possibly can. 

Y'know I missed that a lot what with you keep sleeping in my bed and all." Spike tried to calm his heart down as well from his shock. His body was no longer covered by the sheet, except his calves that still tangled between it, exposing his deliciously naked body. 

Buffy lowered her gaze from his eyes, down to his neck, across his lean and hard abdomen and landed on his member. She took the whole sight approvingly, especially when she now focus on his groin. Her mouth grew dry in an instant as she felt her blood rushing through her body. The winter breeze suddenly felt like a steaming sauna. She was half way to lick her lower lip reflexively when she heard Spike continued to speak. She broke her gaze off and shot her eyes up to look straight at his eyes. 

"Buffy?? Are you alright, pet?" Spike followed her gaze, which landed on his member. A pride raced uncontrollably through him. He had seen girls drooling over his body, but not Buffy. Not Buffy, his non-existent sister. 'Wow! She slept with me hundreds times and she just realized what a hot tight little body I have??' He smirked at the thought. 

"Uhh...y-yeah...o-of course I am..." Buffy stammered. She started looking around. Spike's guitar that was leaned against the wall by the bed's end, suddenly gained her interest. She began pacing around the room. 

"Umm...you know what, I-I just remember that I have to meet Cordy for shopping." She lied. Her voice was too perky as she tried to cover her embarrassment. She could feel her face flushed and her heart wouldn't calm down a bit. 'Dammit! What is WRONG with me?? This is your brother, idiot! Well...he's not really my brother though...he's just like one of them...' Buffy was getting frustrated at her own mental conversation. Spike glanced at his alarm clock. It read 8.45 P.M. He raised one scarred brow. "At this hour??" he asked, confused. 

"Well, won't kill to find out if there's still stores open," she winced at her reasoning, knowing that it wasn't a shopping night. 

'Geez, Buff I know you're not the brightest person in the world. But, lame much?!?' She offered a nervous smile while she attempted to focus on his eyes. 'His eyes, Buffy! NOT his member!! Bad Buffy!' She emotionally kicked herself in the head. Buffy made a mental note to herself, 'Must KILL Cordy when I get home. This is all her fault for putting dangerous thoughts of Spike in my mind.' 

"I-I better go. Bye!" She rushed towards the bedroom's door and started to pull the knob briskly, but it wouldn't budge and the door wouldn't open. She was getting more and more agitated, her face already matched with the color of flame. 

"Pet, you need to turn the knob clockwise to open it. Where did Cordy take you these days? Dinosaurian world?" Spike arched his eyebrows again. A cocky grin never left his features. He obviously knew what went through her mind and he found it quiet amusing. 

Buffy flashed a sheepish tight smile. She closed her eyes momentarily at her stupidity. She turned the knob to the right and sighed in relief when the door ripped open. She said another goodbye before storming out of his house, out of his room, out of the sight that made her temperature went straight to 40 degrees. Once she was in his front yard, she took a deep breath. Sucking a cool air into her lungs never felt better. Her features turned into relief but soon turned into anger. She knew where she had to go now. Her cousin's pretty face came across her mind. 'Cordy, you are SO dead!'. She took wide steps heading to her own house as she wrecked her brain out to figure out the best way to torture her cousin after she damaged her brain with wild thoughts. She just hoped that Cordy was home already by the time she confronted her. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

"You are one DEAD woman, sista!" Buffy bursted into her house with her index finger pointing at her cousin's startled reaction. Cordy shot her eyes up and dropped her magazine instantly when she heard Buffy's yell. 

"What?!? What the hell are you talking 'bout?" Cordy heard herself yelled back. Buffy started pacing around the living room, in front of her cousin who sat on the couch. 

"You know what I'm talking about! That thought with Spike being a hot and sexy hunk and all..." She waved one hand in front of her and placed the other firmly on her hip. The previous sight came across her mind and she felt her face flushed once again. Cordy's features now turned into an amused look at her cousin's flushed face. She smiled to herself, her brown eyes darted following Buffy's motion. 

"What happened?" she simply inquired. 

"Well I was at- What makes you think something happened?" Buffy stopped her feet when she realized that her cousin knew something must be up, judging from her reddened face. Cordy gave a stern look, crossing arms across her chest matching her crossing legs. Buffy finally conceded, she slumped into the couch next to Cordy. 

"I was at Spike's house an hour ago and went straight to his bed. Y'know, started snuggling against him like we usually do. But then when I put my arm on him...I found out that he was umm...he was..." 

Buffy thought of a better word to say beside 'mouth-wateringly naked'. Okay, maybe 'deliciously' was more polite, less pervert. She startled at her cousin's snap. 

"He was what??" 

"H-h-he was...naked" Buffy let out the last word in a whisper. It took all Cordy's ear strength to hear her cousin's whisper, she decided to torture her cousin even more. 

"He was what?" She repeated her question, suppressed her smile. 

"He was NAKED, okay!!" Buffy said it loud in irritation. She knew that Cordy just wanted to press her button. She glared at her amused look. 

"So...what did he look like underneath? You know, his package..." Cordy grinned wickedly, a gleam in her crystal brown eyes. 

"Who said I saw his...package..." Buffy's face blushed again at the word 'package'. 'Damn this running blood!' If she was a vampire, she wouldn't have to worry her face being hot and rosy. 

"Oh come on, Buff. You won't be blushing by now if you didn't see his package." Cordy rolled her eyes at her cousin's denial. Buffy blushed even more. Her cheek turned from soft pink to flame red in a flash. She let out an exasperated sigh. Having more denials wouldn't help to drop the case. So she told the rest of the story starting from when she jumped from his bed. Cordy laughed so hard, her tears pricked in her eyes. She hadn't laughed this hard for a while and she found it was a good medicine for her overly stressed job. Buffy shot daggers at her, feeling more irritated. 

"Oh my god, Buffy. You've just given me the best prescription in my life. Not even one psychiatrist I visited gave the kind I needed." Cordy said between her laughter. Buffy scowled at her comment. 

"Glad I can help." she replied sarcastically. Then she continued, 

"This is all your fault! Now I won't be able to face him again. I can't even sleep over his house anymore!" She grunted, still annoyed. Cordy burst into laughter again at the thought of Buffy who always felt comfortable with Spike, suddenly stiffened around him. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

Buffy tossed and turned around on her bed. She glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand. It read 5 A.M. 'Shit. Four hours before school. Come on, Buffy! Sleepsleepsleep!!" She silently chanted to herself. She began twisting the locks of her hair. It was her habit whenever she couldn't sleep. She found this comfort her nerves and frustration. Weird, I know! Freaky, hell yeah! 

She wrecked her brain out, trying to find some thoughts in the back of her mind to make her doze off, when suddenly an image of a very naked Spike entered her mind uninvited. She opened her eyes promptly, then shook the image off, desperately trying to erase it from her mind. 

She had seen naked Spike before, but it was a wayyyyy long ago. Back when they were still new friends, they had often shared a bath together. It was all being so cute and making people gasping 'aww' at their sight. But now, everything was different. Buffy hated to admit that Spike was now more than her dorky friend. He's turning into a charming and gorgeous as hell young man, not to mention that he had a killer body and sexy smile to go with his brainy skull of his. 

She turned to the side as she put a pillow above her head tightly and squeezed her eyes shut again, as if she was hiding from the light in her darkened room. The action didn't help her. She discarded the pillow and lay on her back when she began lacking of air. She took a gulp of air as she stared at the ceiling. 'How am I going to face him tomorrow?' Her mind started working on the possible reactions she would give when she saw him at school. But nothing good came up. Buffy heaved a sigh. This was going to be one of those long nights she had...or mornings rather. 

_to be continued_

A/N: For those of you who might be thinking 'who in the world has that kind of habit?' Well, that would be me... the twisting thingy and maybe with the help of fantasizing about Spike's hot little body mostly help me with the insomnia I keep having every night heehee... 


	14. Chapter 13: Seeing Red

**Chapter 13: Seeing Red **

Buffy walked to her locker, a tired look clearly registered over her features. Her eyes were half closed, she would give anything for some sleep at this time. But in a few seconds they were stretched open when she saw a peroxide head stalking over her. She clutched her thick math book firmly. Her tired look changed into a horrified one. 'Oh no!! He's coming! What am I gonna do?!?' Buffy stepped back a little. Her eyes grew wide but a slight disappointment was evidently inside them when she saw him fully clothed. 

'Big NO to ogling at Spike's body! Bad Buffy, bad bad Buffy!!" Her hands began slamming her forehead with the thick book she'd been holding as if punishing herself. The rhythm became faster as Spike came closer. He grabbed her hands immediately to stop her once he was close enough to reach for her. "Whoa, pet! No need to damage your brain there. Although I can assure you, slamming your head to a locker door is definitely more efficient." He flashed her a sexy grin. Buffy looked up to him and blushed in crimson. 'Oh my god! Even his grin is sexy! Since when did he start doing that sexy grin?!?' She shook the thought off. She tried to come up for a reply when the bell saved her from the tormenting situation she was experiencing. 

"Class! I-I-I better go," Buffy piped up and for the first time she was grateful to Snyder for ringing the bell so soon. She gave a tight smile before turning her heels around to go to her next class. 

Spike furrowed his brows at Buffy's rushing steps. A smirk tugged at his mouth once he finally had his brain work out the reason for her recent reactions. For the first time ever since they met when they were little, he had never seen her so nervous and tense around him. 'Oh yeah, this is going to be a hell of a ride,' he thought. Taunting Buffy and making her squirm were always on the top of his favorite to-do list. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

"'Ello people!" Spike greeted his gang as he sat next to Buffy. She stiffened when his arm slightly brushed hers along with their thighs. Xander and Willow greeted back with a smile plastered on their faces. "So, where have you been with Cordy, Buff? Got some action going on?" Xander's hands waved in the air, mimicking the word 'action'. 

"Huh?!? W-what actions?!?" Buffy stammered, she began fidgeting. 

Spike suppressed his chuckle but failed miserably. Willow raised a delicate brow at him while her boyfriend replied to the petite blond. 

"Y'know, going to places for photo shots. Who knows you might be offered to be a model like Cordy." Xander gave a 'duh' look. 

"Oh. I-I don't think they would give me a thought, Xan." She said in relief. But soon she stiffened again when she heard Spike's comment. 

"Yeah, she's more likely to be an observer than be the object of the observation." He chuckled again, feeling amused at Buffy's flushed face. Xander and Willow now gave weird looks to both blonds, not understanding what was going on. "Huh?!?" was all Xander and Willow could come up with. A confused expression still glued on both faces. 

"My eyes were partially closed when that happened!" Buffy blurted out, panicking. She widened her eyes as she realized what her words could lead to. 'Oh God! That's just bad!' She tried to add something, but came up with nothing. 

Spike pursed his lips together, closing his eyes briefly, clearly struggling to stifle his laughter. 

"Again with the 'huh?!?'" Xander asked again, dumbfounded. 

"I-I-I have something to do. I'll see you guys later." Buffy quickly packed her bag up and began walking off from her friends, not bothering to wait for a response. Once her retreating form faded, Spike burst into laughter causing the couple to frown at him. 

"What's so funny?" Xander glared, he was completely befuddled and felt irritated at the apparent secret Spike held from him. Spike was his male best friend and he never hid anything from him, even the most 'exclusive' stuffs. Spike would confess everything, anything just like he would do that to him. Willow, on the other hand, made a mental note to herself to dig in the tales Buffy hadn't told her. 

"Nothing, mate. Nothing at all." With that, he sauntered to the exit door, leaving two very puzzled teenagers. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

Buffy rummaged her locker, throwing her books inside more harshly than she intended to. She muttered incoherently under her breath, scowling at her stupid reactions around Spike. As she closed her locker door, Buffy yelped and jumped a little when she saw him leaning against the nearby locker, arms crossing over his chest and a cocky smirk tugging at his mouth. She took a deep breath wryly, both because he sneaked up on her AND because of the way he stood, looking extremely irresistible and manly. 

"Do you know there's this little ritual where one needs to announce one's presence when he/she comes near his/her friends?" She scolded, sending a death glare to him. 

"Sorry, luv. Doesn't apply to me." He shrugged his shoulders indifferently. 

Buffy watched him cautiously as she spoke again, "H-how long have you been standing there?" She silently prayed that he didn't hear her babbling too clearly. She could die if he continued tormenting her with that embarrassing incident, and with the way she reacted towards him in these last 15 hours. 

"Long enough to hear you mumbling about something being stupid and not your fault. I'm taking it this is 'bout last night, innit?" His grin grew wider when she blushed furiously. She tried to keep her heartbeat steady while she lowered her head for a moment. 

"You're not gonna let this go so easy, are you?" She sighed wearily, her eyes pleading in desperation to let the matter go. 

"Why should I? When I can watch you squirm like those tiny worms…" He tilted his head to the side and bit his bottom lip to contain his amusement. 

Buffy scrunched her face at his respond. "Ugh, worms?!? That's just gross, Spike…anyway, that thing last night was stupid a-and embarrassing. So just drop it, okay!" She hurriedly begged again, giving another beseeching look. 

His heart melted instantly by her pleading puppy eyes. 'Damn those puppy eyes!' Spike grumbled mutely, he would never be able to resist them. They always made him promise anything to make her feel better. He rolled his eyes and stood straight before he muttered his reply, "Oh bugger! Fine, I drop the case. So stop doing that wounded puppy act!" 

Buffy sighed in relief as if loads had been lifted off of her shoulders. She smiled graciously at him. "Thank you. Now, shall we go to our next class?" She gestured towards the left end of the hall. Spike stepped forwards and walked side by side with her, hands inside his duster pockets. There was a brief silent before he said, "I was right, y'know." 

"You were right about what?" She turned her head to look at him, a mischievous glint in his eyes and another cocky grin formed across his lips. 

"About you being an observer. You do have a potential for that." He laughed when she smacked him on the ribs. 


	15. Chapter 14: Something Long Forgotten

**Chapter14:** **Something Long Forgotten**

It was the last day of Cordelia's business trip in Sunnydale and once again she had to travel to another continent. She spent her last night chatting with her cousin until dawn, even though she needed much sleep before her flight departed. 

Buffy sauntered sluggishly, her feet idly kicked the white sand while her eyes wandered around the quite beach. The waves were dancing across the sea, but they died down every now and then. The sky was marred in copper red, signaling that the sun was about to set. Her mind drifted to her cousin's beautiful visage. God, she'd missed her already! Cordy was more than a cousin or good friend to her. She was more like Buffy's big sister; a person she always looked up to, a role model. Tears began welling behind her eyes as she grasped the fact that her house would be empty and cold without her cousin's rich laughter. Her mother would be busy for her business trips and she would end up being home alone again. 

Sighing deeply, she wiped her eyes quickly as soon as she caught the sight of her three friends. They were sitting on a wooden rectangle-shaped table, their feet landing on the long bench that attached to it. Green bushes bordered the back of their spot within several feet apart. This was their sacred place where they would gather together, watching the sun slowly made its way to the west and letting the breeze play with their hair. She forced a smile as she approached them. 

"Hey…" She announced her presence in a soft voice. Her friends greeted back and threw her their warm smiles. Willow, who was sitting between her boyfriend's thighs, sat straight but still let Xander's arms encircle her waist firmly. 

"So, Cordy's really gone, huh?" She gave a sympathetic smile to her best friend, noticing the sadness washing over her façade. 

"Yeah, she has. Her flight departed an hour ago." Buffy climbed up the bench and sat between Spike's thighs. She leaned against his hard chest as he wrapped his arms around her, resembling Willow's and Xander's positions. 

"How are you doin', pet?" He whispered his question into her ear, sending shivers to her spine. She shifted her position to distract the new sensation that filled her. 

"Sad, but I'll be okay. Although I miss her already…" She answered while her eyes fixed to the sea waves. 

"I know, luv. But I'm sure you'll be fine." 

Buffy smiled half-heartedly at his comforting words. She leaned further against his chest and placed her head on the crook of his neck. Her white tank top exposed her slender shoulder, pale and smooth. Spike stared at it intently, being drawn to the bare tender flesh. He was struggling over the urge to suck and nibble it. Taking a deep breath, he lowered his head but instead of sucking and nibbling it like he desperately wanted, he planted a feather-like kiss on her shoulder. 

Buffy closed her eyes when she felt his soft lips brushed over her shoulder. Her stomach was doing flip-flop and she shuddered vaguely as another new commotion overwhelmed her. She inhaled sharply, trying to contain her excitement; only it got worse when his unique scent filled through her nostrils. Attempting to ignore the new feeling that started building inside her, she exhaled warily, causing him squeeze his eyes shut as her warm breath tickled his neck. 

Willow and Xander raised their eyebrows and exchanged looks at the scene played before their eyes. Both of them wondered how Spike and Buffy maintained to be so calm and comfortable at that position, knowing that they weren't a couple. Little did they know, the blond couple was trying their hardest to restrain their sexual tensions. 

The sky got darker as the sun was vanishing through the horizon. The four of them sat in a comfortable silence. It was really peaceful out there. No distraction, no vehicle noises and only a few people visited the beach. Buffy sighed in contentment when the cool air hit her face. Soon she found herself fall deeply into slumber. One hour elapsed rapidly. 

"I think we better get out of here. The sky is already dark." Xander declared, pointing at the darkened sky. 

"Guess so. Let's go home, pet!" Spike murmured through her tresses. Buffy only shifted her position, nuzzling further towards the crook of his neck. 

"Hmm…." was the only respond he got. 

"Looks like you've got a sleeping beauty there. Should I get water to wake her up? Adding a bucket of salt might help…" Xander offered, indicating the seawater, a sly grin plastered on his face. Willow elbowed her boyfriend on the ribs and glared sharply at him. 

Spike chuckled before answering, "Nah…don't need to. Let 'er sleep, she probably hasn't caught a wink last night." Slowly Spike slipped from his seat and landed his boots on the ground while his arms steadily caught her back. Once he stood straight, he easily swept Buffy from the wooden table and turned his heels around, started heading towards the parking lot. 

"Let's go." He called over his shoulder. The brunette and redhead immediately followed Spike's footsteps. After they arrived in front of Spike's DeSoto, Willow and Xander separated themselves from the blond couple, having their own way to their homes. Spike drove Buffy back to her house while she was still asleep in the rear seat. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

The house looked empty when Spike unlocked the front door with the key he found in Buffy's shorts pocket. He put a holder on the door to keep it open, then went back to his car to get Buffy. Slamming the rear door with his foot, he headed inside the house with Buffy in his arms, still sleeping soundly. 

"Home sweet home, pet…" He whispered softly as he ascended the stair and purposely strolled over her bedroom. Buffy stirred slightly when Spike struggled to open her bedroom door with his hand, her body still attached in his arms. He sighed in relief once the door swung open. Very carefully, he laid her on the bed, puffed the pillow to make her head as comfy as he could. Next, he reached for her beach sandals, taking them off with care as to not disturb her nap. Just after he put the second half of the sandals on the beige carpet, Buffy was fully awake. She rubbed her eyelids with the sides of her index fingers and partly yawned. 

"Spike…are we home already?" She propped onto her elbows, raising her upper body as she took in her surroundings. 

"Yes, luv we are." He stalked around the bed, then slumped his body next to her, causing the bed to bounce a little. 

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry you had to carry me home, right to my bed." She apologized as soon as a realization of her being deep into siesta hit her. 

"S'okay, pet. Didn't even break a sweat." He shrugged casually. Truth be told, he had troubles with getting the bedroom door rip open since his hands and arms were full of the petite body. He cursed himself for not having opened it before he fetched her from his car. 

A long silent passed between them. Buffy was trying to remember what she needed to tell him…or maybe it was something she needed to give him. 

"OH YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT!!" She exclaimed, slapping her forehead after the answer to her mental question popped into her mind. Spike jolted slightly at her outburst. Before he could ask what it was, Buffy crawled across his lap, headed for her nightstand. She crawled so low, her breasts brushed over his arm that was placed on his thigh. Spike gripped the bed headboard with the other hand as she sprawled her upper body on his lap with her busts crashed against his arm. The fact that her right one was accidentally cupped in his hand, made him clutch the board tighter. He swallowed hard, closed his eyes and took a gulp of air to resist the notion of squeezing the mound instinctively. 

Buffy though didn't notice it. She was too busy exploring her drawer, trying to find something she wanted to give him. She stuck her hand further inside the drawer, pulled it back and examined whatever it was she caught. When the item was not the one she searched for, she discarded it then thrust her arm again. The movements of her hands shuffling the contents of the blue-painted timber furniture, made her breasts rub their heat to his palm back and forth in the process. He tightened his jaw at the teasing action she unwittingly did, trying to keep his loaded hand remain still until it felt numb. 

"Wha-" He cleared his throat right away when his voice came as a squeak. He tried again, "What are you looking for, pet?" He needed to distract her from her activity…and distract himself from the affects she currently had on him. Thankfully, Buffy was now sitting up straight after she found what she was looking for. 

"AHA!! Here it is…" She held a white envelope in the air triumphantly, satisfied look in finding it evident in her features. Spike let out a long breath, releasing the tension that had built up inside him. 

"What is that?" He tilted his head, soon looking curiously at the envelope. He was about to reach for it with a shaky hand but quickly changed his mind, considering that she might ask the reason his hand was trembling. 

"It's a letter from Cordy…" She answered, then handed it to him. "…for you." 

Spike stared at it for a while, clenching and unclenching his fist as if to relax his hand. He finally took the letter from her and stared at it again, brushing his finger to a delicate handwriting that read his name - William Giles. 

Buffy rolled her eyes, "Well, are you going to open it or not??" her voice screeched with impatience. She was curious herself as to the unusual way Cordy gave words to Spike. What could this be about? If Cordy wanted to say her goodbye, she could simply call him or drop by to his place. As far as Buffy knew, they rarely wrote to each other. Talking via phone would save time greatly since Cordy had a hectic agenda. 

Spike was startled by Buffy's snap. He promptly torn the envelope off from one side and slid two fingers to pull a folded paper out. He chuckled once he read a brief message on it before he attempted to unfold it. Buffy drew her eyebrows together in a frown. "What are you chuckling 'bout?" 

He looked up to her while pushing the letter back inside the envelope. "She said, 'Read this on your privacy.'" He chuckled again when she pouted, a smile already formed across his mouth. 

"Fine. Keep all your secrets from me. It's not like I care." She grunted, making her way to descend her bed and collecting the abandoned items from the floor to be put back into her drawer. She was plainly annoyed at being out of loop. When there was Spike, there should be Buffy too. It was somewhat their unspoken promise to each other. 

Spike heaved a sigh and shook his head briefly. "I'm just respecting her wish, luv. That's all I'm doing." He folded the envelope and shoved it into his duster pocket before climbing down the bed and helping her. He was sorting through the pictures when he stopped to a halt, drawing an unfamiliar picture out of the pile. It was an old black and white picture, a size of a tarot card. Since it was taken in a close distance, all that could be seen was an arm wrapping a curly fair-haired toddler around the shoulders. A half-inch width platinum bracelet with a string of small flowers and leafs engraved on it, hugged the wrist just right. Spike guessed the kid had golden locks like the person sitting next to him. 

"I don't remember seeing this picture." He commented as he studied the portrait. Buffy leaned in to peek at it. Her eyebrows joined in a crease while she tried to remember when and where the old photo was taken. Her recent irritation was soon forgotten. 

"I think it was taken when Mom was about 5 years old." She pointed at the arm, "That's Grandma's arm. Isn't the bracelet beautiful?" Spike only nodded. Buffy sighed, slumping her shoulders as mixed expressions played across her façade. He tilted his head when he noticed her reaction. 

"Buffy, what's wrong?" She didn't answered immediately. Her eyes fell to the bedroom carpet as she gathered the memory when she and her mother just moved to Sunnydale. Sucking air in intensely, she began telling the tale she had not recalled for a long time. 

"Remember when my mom got divorced, I was only 4 years old. Then we moved here and lived in a small apartment. My mom started working in various places but her income was always a little tight for the rent and the bills." She took a deep breath again. Her features were marred with sadness. Spike listened intently, waiting patiently for her to continue. 

"Our condition got worse when I fell sick…malaria…" She uttered the last word in a whisper, her head hung lowly. He lifted one forefinger under her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. Her hazel orbs glistened with tears. For a full minute, their eyes locked. Spike's blue ones gave an assurance that it was okay to free all the emotions she'd been holding back. Buffy looked away as she resumed her story. 

"The medications were quite expensive and to make matter worse, the rent was a couple of months overdue. She tried to get a loan everywhere but couldn't. A-and you know my grandparents died before I was born. Cordy's family was living in Europe and my mom didn't know how to contact them for help." Her gloomy expression transformed into anger in a flash. "And the person I 'supposedly' call 'father'…" She accentuated the words supposedly and father with hatred. Her voice raised one level per word as she said the next line. "…He didn't give a damn about us! He never called, he never visited or even wrote. He-" Buffy paused for a while, attempting to control her fury. 'Better move on with the story', she thought. 

Discussing about her biological father would only bring back the pain she buried ever since she closed her heart from him. She remembered when she was a kid, she used to ask where her father was every chance she got. Her mother always lost in words, not knowing what to say to her. He no longer owned their house in Los Angeles and he quitted his job. He just vanished without a trace. 

Buffy envied her friends whenever they talked about the time they spent with both of their parents…or the birthday presents their dads gave them. She even envied her friends when they ranted about the fight they had with their fathers and how their fathers made them go to their rooms. All the time she felt she was the odd one out…until she met Spike. The person who she could share her pain of missing a parent. 

Spike laid a hand on her palm and squeezed it lightly. She looked up to him and gave a squeeze back. She sighed. "Anyway, my mom sold all the valuable things she had…y'know like jewelry and such. Except the bracelet in that picture." Buffy pointed at the portrait Spike found. "She said that she inherited it from my grandma when she got married. It was so precious to her. But then…we were still short out of money. So, she reluctantly sold it as well." In her mind, she still could see clearly the way her mom stared at the picture longingly. She could sense the older Summers was stabbed with regrets and failure of not being able to pass the tradition on. 

Buffy stared blankly at the wall when she continued. "She worked very hard to claim the bracelet back, but it was too late. The bracelet was already gone…" She held her head down while she twisted the hem of her top unconsciously. She just realized it might be the reason - besides her being very sick - that her mother kept working really hard even though the bracelet was long absent. 

As if reading her mind, Spike finally spoke, bringing her chin up again with his finger. "It's not your fault." His eyes sent warmth and soothe through her. She only smiled lackadaisically. 

"I know. But it's-" 

"Shh…No buts. None of that, 'kay…" Spike cut her off with a finger planted on her lips. He then cupped her face, stroked her cheeks lightly with his thumbs and gave her an affectionate smile. She nodded meekly and flashed him a smile again. 

"That's my girl." He kissed her forehead as she closed her eyes, sighing in appease. "Now, what do you say we make a coupla hot cocoa with those tiny marshmallows?" He winked at her, a trademark smirk creeping over his handsome features. Without waiting for her respond, he stood up and pulled her on her feet. "Come on, luv!" He dragged her out of the room, deciding to clean the mess up later. Buffy trailed closely behind him, glancing back at the old photo before she disappeared into the hall. 

_to be continued_

(A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. You guys are awesome. =D )


	16. Chapter 15: Diverse Feelings

**Chapter 15: Diverse Feelings**

Spike killed the engine of his DeSoto, got out of the car and made sure all doors were locked. He ran a hand through his tousled hair as he stepped towards the front door, the other hand dug in his faded jeans pocket to find his house keys. Sucking the fresh morning air into his lungs, he pinched the bridge of his nose while closing his tired eyes briefly. He inserted the correct key through the lock before slowly opening the door, not wanting to disturb his sleeping father. 

He needed more sleep, he thought. It was only four hours ago when he finally dozed off. Although he could sleep at the Summers' residence until afternoon, he decided it would be better to leave after Joyce arrived. 

He tossed his keys onto the study desk, peeled his duster off and draped it on a chair. Sighing, he dropped his body on the mattress and lay flat on his back. His mind brought him to the memory of last night as he closed his eyes. 

_Joyce was expected to be home by evening, but her flight got cancelled due to the storm in Chicago. So she rang Buffy to inform her that she would be home the next morning. Buffy, once again, was too upset to be home alone. Her cousin had just left last night, and now her mother wasn't even coming home. Noticing her disappointment, Spike offered to stay with her until her mom arrived, which meant that he had to sleep over her house. Buffy gladly accepted his offer although she could invite Willow to have a slumber party instead. _

_The first thing they did was cook dinner…well, Spike fixed the meals since Buffy was doubtfully able to survive the kitchen without burning it. Then they watched TV, but mostly they were too occupied with commenting and bickering about any shows that popped into the screen. It was midnight when they decided to call the night off. Spike, remembering about the innocent grope fest that happened that afternoon, suggested he sleep on the couch. Since she had no idea about his real reason, Buffy insisted that they should sleep on her bed. Although he rarely stayed over her house, that did not mean the way they spent the night would be any different to the way they did at his place. Spike tried to back his suggestion up, but he couldn't give her his real reason. He came up with ridiculous explanations and she obviously did not buy them. So he finally gave in. _

_After they entered her bedroom, he started to strip his clothes off. Buffy's face reddened instantly and she fidgeted when she saw him standing in front of her, topless. The Spike-nakedness event soon replayed across her mind. She swore Spike would taunt her again the minute he looked up to her. Boy, was she wrong! She was rather taken aback by his reaction. There was no trademark smirk, no cocky grin nor a mischievous glint. Nothing. It was in fact an awkward vibe he sent through her. They started to act nervously around each other as the air thickened in a flash. A second seemed to be an hour. The silent became deafening as they lost all words. Spike ultimately broke the agonizing silence, he decided he should crash in the couch. _

_Buffy did not feel right about it. She knew sleeping on the couch would be uncomfortable, especially for a tall person like Spike. She tried to think of another option. _

_Okay, her house originally contained three bedrooms. But given that only two people lived in it, her mother had turned the guest room into a storeroom for her personal art collections. Moreover her mother hardly ever stayed home for more than a week in a row. _

_'That's it. Geez, why didn't I think about that?' A bright light bulb popped up above her head. She grabbed an old blue tank top and sweats from her dresser before telling him to sleep in her room while she used her mother's. _

_The solution however did not provide Spike with the good rest he needed. Occasionally he turned and tossed around. His mind had screamed that this was not right. She should be here with him, wrapping one's body with the other's. Just like the way they did every night she came over his place. Once or twice, he went to the bathroom for a cover up to check on her. Perhaps she couldn't sleep either. Perhaps she also thought the idea of having two separate rooms was wrong. But her light was off and she never came out of her room once. Perhaps he was wrong. _

_It was approximately 10 o'clock in the morning when Joyce arrived. Both Spike and Buffy had just exited their respective rooms at the same time. Spike was half naked and Buffy's top hung dangerously low. The blond couple froze at their spots for a minute, gawking at each other. _

_'This is just bloody stupid." He thought at their awkwardness. They couldn't thank Joyce enough for ending their gauche situation as she landed her feet at the top of the stairs. Joyce was seemingly surprised to see her daughter come out of her room, looking as though she had slept there last night. She knew they still shared a bed, so what changed? _

_Spike immediately went back to Buffy's room and got dressed after he announced his leaving due to some urgent errands he needed to attend._

And now here he was…at home at last. 

"What the fuck was that all 'bout?!?" He grumbled, sitting up on his bed. 

He recalled all the incidents that had happened yesterday. Okay, they were at the beach, Buffy fell asleep, he took her home. Buffy woke up, she crawled over his lap, fortuitous breast-cupping incident happened, she gave him Cordy's letter, she told him a story, then they made…wait a sec! Cordy's letter…he almost totally forgot about it. Spike took his duster from the chair. 

He was pretty curious as to what the letter was about. He and Cordy were good friends but they rarely contacted each other. Buffy, who was Cordy's closest cousin and friend, couldn't keep in touch with her regularly, and neither could he. He even found out about her engagement from Buffy. He was crushed. His world seemed to fall apart. Though he may have appeared to be a player, seducing every attractive girl he met, it was only a technique to deflect him from thinking of her. To tell the truth, he had been secretly in love with her from the time she moved to Sunnydale eight years ago. All of his friends, including Buffy, thought he only had a crush on her. No, it was more than that. Since then he completely lost contact with her, and finally buried his hopes that someday she would have feelings for him. Feelings that were more than towards a friend…or a brother. 

And now she wrote him a letter. He could not even remember the last time she did that. The question in his mind was why she didn't talk to him in person. 'Maybe she was too busy with her job,' Spike tried to rationalize. After all, she only visited SunnyD to get some work done. Why couldn't she give him a call? Another question arose. He did not have any rationales for that one. 

He stared at the white envelope, contemplating what had been written inside. Could she have changed her mind about him? Maybe she finally had feelings for him, like he had wished those years ago. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the folded paper out from the torn envelope once again. Just when the letter was about to come out fully, a ring sounded in his ear, startling him. He put the letter back inside and answered the phone. 

"'Ello? Oh bugger! Sorry, Xan I completely forgot. Give me half an hour and I'll be there." Spike sighed in between his curses. He was too engrossed by yesterday's events, he had neglected the plan of getting birthday presents with Xander. He closed his eyes momentarily, then put the letter inside his drawer before strolling over to his bathroom to get cleaned up. 


	17. Chapter 16: The Sweet Tradition

**Chapter 16: The Sweet Tradition**

The cafeteria was fully packed with starving teenagers. They patiently lined up for their turn and once in a while peered at the displayed food in the steel counter. Buffy and the gang sat in their regular spot, chatting and laughing while shoving the tedious cafeteria food into their empty stomaches. Willow and Buffy poked and played around with their food. Xander did not really care about what kinds of ingredients had been put into the meal as long as he was well fed. Spike kept snatching Buffy's fries and eventually she pushed her plate to him. 

"OOH…I want to propose a toast," Willow chimed in. The rest turned to look at the perky redhead in interest. "Since tomorrow is Buffy's birthday, I want to propose a toast. May tomorrow be Buffy's perfect day for once." She lifted her can of soda up and the rest soon joined her. 

"Cheers!" They called out in unison. 

Everyone knew that in the last three years, Buffy always had a disaster birthday. She thought she might be cursed. Three years ago, she went to get a hair cut before her party. Alas, her hair was entirely ruined by the new and inexperienced hairdresser. She had cried the whole day and wished that she did not have to attend her own party. The gang managed to persuade her in the end, after complementing her new look until their mouths foamed. 

Then, two years earlier and just two hours before her party, Scott Hope, who was Buffy's boyfriend at the moment, broke up with her because of his coming out. Spike was absolutely furious at her ex. He did not have anything against homosexuality. But the way Scott broke the news on Buffy's birthday made Spike's blood boil with anger. Despite Buffy's protest of confronting her ex, Spike left Scott with purple bruises on his left eye and jaw. 

Last year's birthday was possibly as much her fault when she unintentionally left a solution boiling above a burner for too long and caused the chemistry lab to explode. She ended up cleaning the entire lab and three days detention, much to Snyder's amusement. 

"So Buffy, what do you wish most for a present this year?" Willow brought Buffy out of her reminiscence. 

She startled slightly then answered nonchalantly, "Oh. Um, I wish I could get my own car this year." 

Everyone who was drinking their sodas choked on her respond. "Hey!" Buffy pouted, feeling hurt by her friends' reactions. 

Spike, after recovering from his cough, finally spoke, "Luv, you don't even have a driving license yet". 

"So I'm going to get one. It's that simple" She shrugged casually. 

The gang chuckled in unison. Xander rolled his eyes heavenward, "Oh let's pray for the driver constructor, my brother." Willow giggled while Spike chuckled again. Buffy frowned and kicked Xander's shin under table. "Owww! You know, for such a little girl like you, you've really got some power in you." Xander scolded, rubbing his now sore shin. 

Buffy snorted unladylike, then retorted, "and for such a so-called best friend like you, you really know how to make a friend feel better." 

"M'afraid I have to disagree with you, pet. Remember when I tried to teach you drive illegally last year, you almost ran my car right through your neighbour's living room. We were fortunate enough that ol' lady didn't give you a hard time...or sue you even." Spike chuckled again as he reminisced the memory when Buffy's old neighbour fainted in shock before she could yap at her. And by the time she recovered, all damages were fixed and she didn't remember anything that happened beforehand, thanked to her senility. 

  
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She smiled broadly at his sleeping state. He hardly ever slept lying on his back. His face was so innocent and childlike. The way his head turned somewhat facing her, his eyes shut tightly and his lips pouted slightly, made him incredibly cute. Her smile grew wider as an insane idea came to mind. She always thought his eyelashes were illegally long and thick. She had been itching to curl and enhance those lashes. Quietly, she open her bag to find her cosmetic purse. Finding brown mascara, she unscrewed its tip while suppressing her giggles. She carefully and slowly brought the brush to his eyelids and applied it on each eyelash. 

'Oh this is gonna be fun. Spike is sooo going to be pissed off.' Buffy puckered her lips tightly, struggling over her laughter. As she finished fastening the mascara's cap, out of the blue, Spike grabbed her right arm with one hand and her waist with the other. In a swift motion, he laid her on the mattress and him on top of her. Buffy shrieked at the sudden movement, never seeing it coming. 

"You know what they say, NEVER trust a sleeping figure. You never know what they're really doing." He smirked down at her, his hands gripping her wrists and pinning them above her head. 

"You pretended to be sleep, didn't you?!? You jerk!" Buffy accused him in a high-pitched voice. 

"Well, I was until y-" Spike cut his sentence off with a groan and eyes rolling back as she wiggled her thighs under him, struggling to be free. He instantly weighed his own thighs on top of hers to keep her still. "Oh come on Spike, lemme go! Or I'll-" 

"Or you'll what, luv? Lick me to death?" He smirked again, knowing that this time she couldn't escape from his grasp. 

Buffy lay still, staring dumbfounded at him as she contemplated his statement. 'I was gonna go with kicking your crotch, but licking you to death sounds much, much better...hmm...Spike popsicle...' For a long moment, she imagined herself licking at a Spike-shaped ice cream fully from bottom to top. Flickering her tongue up and down, devouring its sweetness and coolness…hmm…'Arrghh…what the hell am I thinking?!?' 

"Stop it!" She snapped herself out of her haze almost too harshly. Spike immediately loosened his grip, afraid if he might have hurt her. 

"Stop what, Buff?" His blue orbs searched for frightened eyes in her. Buffy finally realized that she had said the word aloud. 

"Uhh…n-nothing. Sorry, I-I was talking to myself." She looked down, unable to meet his gaze. 

He cocked his head to one side, watching her flushing face for a while. His lips began to curve into a trademark grin. "Were you just thinking of me, pet?" 

She rolled her eyes overdramatically. "Oh please. Don't flatter yourself…Wait, as a matter of fact I was. You know why? Because right now, your eyelashes really go with the brown mascara I've applied." She giggled at his widened eyes. The brown liquid had not dried when he open his eyes for the first time, causing it to blotch on his lower eye lines. 

"You're going to pay for this, Summers!" He growled, eyes narrowing into slits, menacing down at her. 

"Oh really? What are you gonna do?" She challenged in a mocking tone. An evil smirk formed across his features. 

"Oh I'll think of something. No need to worry, luv." 

"Uh-oh. I-I don't like that sound at all. Y-You're not going to make me do something unbelievably ridiculous, are you?" Her hazel eyes filled with alarm. 

"Well, you'll just have to wait and see." He singsong as he neared his face towards hers. His cocky smirk was gone when he realized they were only inches away. He could hear her breaths turn into pants, mirroring his own. 

Buffy's eyes were wide open, her heart pounding uncontrollably. His face was too close, in spite of her comfort. His eyes were hooded, filled with lust and his hot breath tickled her face, sending tingles throughout her body. 

Spike stared at her slightly open mouth, then back to her eyes, searching for anticipation in them. He brought his face closer to hers, slowly but steadily. 

She panicked in horror but at the same time waited with intensity. With a mere inch away from each other's lips, both of them froze. A knock was heard from the front door. They kept eyeing each other as they pondered their next actions. 

'Go away, go away, go away!' Spike mutely chanted his annoyance. To his dismay, the knock got louder and more frequent. A yell from a young man's lips soon followed. 

"Spike!! You there? Come on, we're gonna be late." 

Spike sighed in disappointment. "Bollocks!" He muttered. In a flash, he jumped from the bed and strode crossly towards the front door. 

Buffy let out the breath that she did not realize she'd been holding on. Her heart still pounded furiously but the beat was now slowing down. She quickly stood up, grabbed her bag and left his house after saying brief goodbyes to both men. 

Xander watched her retreating form with a frown. "Boy is she in a hurry." Then he looked back at his best friend, tilting his head to one side and squinting his eyes. "Are you wearing mascara?" 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

"I'm going to bed now. Night, mum!" Buffy kissed her mother's cheek. 

"Night, honey. I love you." Joyce looked up from her reading and smiled. The petite blond shouted "I love you" back over her shoulder, ascending the stairs. 

Buffy stared at her bedroom's window. "Would he come tonight?" She asked no one in particular. "Maybe…maybe not." She answered herself. Sighing, she unlocked her window and lifted it open a little. She subsequently switched the light off and slipped under her comforter. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

The neighbourhood was quiet and dimly lit, only a few dogs' barks could be heard. A black clad figure was moving cautiously. He glanced around the area before standing at the ladder that lay against the wall. Slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder attentively, he started climbing the ladder as inaudibly as possible. Once he reached the top of it, he lifted the slightly open window and dropped the bag carefully on the floor. He hopped inside. Almost stumbling over discarded items on the carpet, he muttered curses. "Bloody hell!" 

Since the room was nearly pitch black, he had to feel every object he found, fishing the contents of the bag out one by one. Occasionally he glanced at the sleeping form in the bed with the aid of moonlight, hoping he hadn't woken her. Once he prepared everything, he stalked around the bed and kneeled in front of the sleeping figure. The alarm clock read exactly 12.00 A.M. 

"Wake up, Goldilocks! I've got something for you," Spike whispered softly, hoping to awaken her and not to wake Joyce up from the other room at the same time. Buffy stirred at the low voice, she squinted her eyes as soon as she was greeted by a bright light from a candle. She blinked once, twice, in attempt to adjust to the blaze in her dark room. 

"Hey…you came." She flashed him a lazy smile, rubbing her eyes from drowsiness before she raised her upper body with the support of her elbows. Then she fully sat up. 

"Course I came. You know we've been doing this for years." He smirked and gave a wink. Standing, he moved to sit on the bed, facing her while presenting the black-forest tart with a 4-inch diameter. 

White soft cream embroidered the top edge of the cake with four fresh cherries planted firmly in equal distance on it. Shaved dark chocolate was arranged delicately on the top and a single lit candle with pink swirls coating the white wax stood straight in the middle of the chocolate cake. More tiny chocolate pieces decorated and covered the outer side of the tart with the help of identical cream, causing Buffy to drool when she observed the whole cake. 

"Ooh…black forest! I love black forest…" She exclaimed excitedly, her face lit up and enhanced by the bright glow. Spike grinned from ear to ear at her childlike reaction. 

"I know, pet. You told me on your last birthday." He stated. She smiled cheerfully at him, then looked back at the mouth-wateringly tartlet. 

Spike and Buffy had made a birthday routine ever since her twelfth birthday. He would come at midnight by climbing over her window, which was intentionally unlocked and opened slightly by Buffy. He'd also bring a small cake, enough for the two of them to eat, two plastic forks, a candle and of course, a birthday present. The funny thing was, nobody knew about this. Not even Xander or Willow. And not even Joyce, the only person who lived under the same roof with Buffy and whose room was only on the other side of the hall. 

"Well, come on. Close your pretty hazel eyes and make a wish." He urged her while still holding the cake with his two hands. Buffy obeyed him and closed her eyes for a long minute. Spike watched her intently. She looked so beautiful at that moment, even though her hair was tousled. Her face glowed vibrantly and she looked absolutely like an angel. He smiled to himself. 

Buffy opened her eyes and saw him staring at her. She ducked her head slightly, suddenly feeling shy. Then she blew the candle out softly and the room once again went pitch-black. She reached for her nightstand and searched for a bedside light switch. The room beamed brighter than before. Buffy found Spike with his eyes still fixed on her. A soft pink blush began creeping across her cheeks. 

"The cake looks delicious. D-do you bring forks with you? I-I can't wait to try it." She piped up nervously. Spike finally snapped out of his haze and set the cake down on the nightstand. 

"Yeah, sure. Give me a sec." He stood up, strolled towards his bag that was near the window, and brought it to her. Digging inside it, he searched for the forks and the gift he had prepared for her. He grinned widely when he pulled out a medium square, velvet box. "Happy birthday, Buffy," said Spike as he stuck the box out to her. Buffy open the box curiously. Her eyes widened when she saw the content of it. She looked back at him, agape. 

"Spike, this is beautiful." She stared down again at the silver necklace that was set charmingly in a circle. It was simple, which was why Buffy liked it. A flower-shaped pendant was filled with five white gems, each on every petal and an additional similar stone added on the centre of the flower. She traced the silver chain with the tip of her index finger, then onto the pendant lovingly. 

"I know it's nothing compared to your grandmother's bracelet…" His voice trailed off. 

"No, it's as beautiful as my grandma's bracelet. And I love it. Thank you." She leaned forward to give a tight hug. Spike, accepting her embrace, ran his hand down smoothly on her golden locks. 

"Your welcome." He inhaled her vanilla scent and exhaled his response. As she pulled back, Spike cupped her cheek still and caressed his thumb over the soft skin, his eyes bore into hers. Buffy's hazel eyes stretched wider, searching for anticipation in his. Strangely, he came to his senses in a brief moment and pulled back from her. He grabbed the box and took the necklace, holding it in the air as he said, "C'mere. Let me see if this necklace is worthy enough to be around your lovely neck." He gestured her to lean forward again. Buffy blushed at his statement but complied anyway. After he unlatched the hook, he also bent over her and encircled the jewellery around her neck. The scent of her filled his nostrils stronger as his nose was only an inch away from the crook of her neck. He was concentrating his hardest in completing the task but it was quite impossible with the display of her ivory flesh, just begging to be nipped on. 

Buffy, on the other hand, tried to steady her heart beat and breathe normally. She stared blankly at the empty space but sometimes stole a glance at him. Spike took much longer hooking the clasp than he intended to, much to her dismay. It was obviously uncomfortable. A similar yet bizarre commotion washed over her when she felt his warm breath brush teasingly against her neck. 

After two or three more tries, Spike finally succeeded. He pulled back from her almost too abruptly. Buffy mumbled her 'thank you' again while she brushed her thumb over the pendant. He only nodded, his gaze fell on the abandoned cake on the nightstand. 

"Aren't you going to try that, luv? I know you've been eyeing the cake ever since you laid your eyes on it." He joked, a smirk creeping over his features. Buffy glared playfully at him. She took the tart and a fork that Spike handed to her. 

"Wait…" She put the cake back on the nightstand and bent over to reach for something under her bed. She smiled proudly when she placed a wooden bed tray between them. Spike barely managed not to arch his scarred brow. 

"You keep a bed tray under your bed? Now tell me, why have I never known that?" 

She rolled her eyes. "Nooo…I don't keep a bed tray under my bed. Cordy and I used it for playing cards the other day but I forgot to return it." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. She retook the cake and set it on the tray. 

For fifteen minutes, the situation went back to normal. They chitchatted in a best friend manner while eating the black forest, laughed softly at each other's jokes and attempted to keep their voices down as to not awake the older Summers—at least until Buffy shushed him and stretched her small hand out to his face. She wiped delicately a tint of white cream on the corner of his mouth with her middle finger. Then she brought her finger to her own mouth and sucked the cream, devouring it in a slow motion. Her tongue tasted the exotic flavour of dairy mixed with a hint of tobacco. It was striking to her. 

Spike only stared at her astonished. He stifled his groan when she sucked her own middle finger while her eyes were fixed on him. Unconsciously he swallowed hard, his tight jeans felt tighter at her action. He shifted his position as to adjust the tightness of his denim. 

"Right, uhh…where were we?" He broke his gaze off of her, looking at anything else but her. 

"You were saying that you went to a soccer game with Xander this afternoon." Buffy dabbed a small amount of the cream from the tart and sucked her finger again, her eyes were still fixed on him innocently. Spike's gaze fell back on her. He suppressed the grunt in his chest while he shifted his position again. 

"Yeah…'course. Well, those stupid blokes kept running around after this halfback whom they believed to be the best shooter." He rolled his eyes and shook his head disbelievingly. Buffy chuckled softly, then continued eating as she intently listened to him. 

  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

"I better go, pet. It's almost 2 already." He grabbed his bag, slung it over his shoulder and stood up. The petite blond descended the bed and followed him, heading towards the window. He pushed it upward enough for him to slip in. He leaned over, skidded across the window then landed one boot on the second top step of the ladder and the other on the third. 

Buffy looked down to him from the other side of the window. "Thank you, Spike. For everything." She smiled genuinely. Spike gave a similar smile back to her. 

"Anytime, pet." He winked at her before he leaned forwards and kissed her cheek. His feet started climbing down the ladder while his lips were still in contact with her cheek, rubbing down the skin and brushing lightly against her lips. 

The slight touch on her lips held enough power to send tingles all over her body. Hazel eyes locked on dark blue eyes. Spike kept sliding down but his eyes remained set on hers. Once he attained the ground, he turned around and stomped away from her house, hands shoved inside his duster pockets. 'Gotta get away from here, mate. Or else God knows what I'll do,' His mind warned him as he attempted to compose himself. 

The petite blond still stared down at the black clad figure. Her hands gripped the base of the window. One of them slowly reached for her lips and touched gently on the spot where Spike's had vaguely swept over. 

_to be continued_

(A/N: Okay, I'll let you know a lil' secret here. I've been posting this story up to this chap in Spuffyarchives.com as some of you have probably known it if you look at my bio. That's why the chaps were posted every day or so. Now, I have to apologize firsthand coz I won't be able to update it every day or so since RL always gets in the way. The best I can do is probably updating it every week or two, and it also depends on how fast my beta send the chaps back to me. And I've just realized being a student of Computer Science and French studies with a lot of readings and coding to do is NOT easy. So please be patient with me, okay =) )


	18. Chapter 17: Conversation with Other Peop...

**Chapter 17: Conversation with Other People…besides You**

She paced around in circles, frustrated. Every once in a while, she came out of her room, wandering around the house as to take her mind off of the event of two days ago. She hadn't seen him since then. Joyce was a little worried about her only daughter, furrowing her delicate brows while she watched her coming and leaving the kitchen every fifteen minutes. 

"Honey, is there something wrong? You keep toddling around the kitchen and please don't make me take my third aspirin today." Buffy stopped at her mother's comment. She heaved a sigh and decided to sit on one of the kitchen stools. 

"I'm sorry, Mum. I just didn't get much sleep, is all," she lied effortlessly. But Joyce didn't buy it. She could see clearly something had been bothering the petite blond. 

"Are you sure? You know you can always talk to me, sweetie. Or do you want to change your mind and have a party after all?" The older Summers coaxed her to open up. 

Buffy had stated that she did not want to have a birthday party, considering all the incidents that had happened during her last three ones.

"I know…and no, I haven't changed my mind. I still don't wanna have a party at all," she offered her mother a half-hearted smile. "I'm going for a walk. I'll be back before dinner." Before Joyce could open her mouth, she had already fled the house. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Buffy replayed the events from the midnight of her birthday while her feet dragged behind her, wandering around Main Street. Her fingers absently played with the pendant of the necklace Spike gave her. 'No, this is not happening. It was all just a mistake. Spike and I are best friends, and nothing can change that.' She assured herself desperately. Yeah, right. 'It was just an innocent kiss. No, wait…you can't even call that a kiss! That was lips accidentally brushing against lips. Yeah, that was it.' The more she tried to convince herself, the more she was in doubt. If it was whatever she called it, then what with the tingling sensations she had had every time she remembered it? 'Maybe that was a part of my birthday present.' She rationalized again. Hey, since when did they have a kiss routine for birthday presents? 

Speaking of presents, Willow and Xander had come to her house the morning after Spike's and Buffy's little tradition. Willow gave her a red sexy dress that screamed "Hellooo sugar daddy, come to momma!" Buffy was wide-eyed when the dress was laid out. It had a very low neckline, which would display the entire valley of her breasts. The backside was only covered with a thin horizontal strap whose ends attached two vertical spaghetti straps that hung on both sides. The hem of the dress barely touched the knee and there were two slits on each side that reached the middle of the thigh. Willow only giggled at her best friend's expression. Buffy's jaw dropped to the floor as she eyed the dress intently. She was sure her mother wouldn't allow her, under any circumstances, to wear that dress. So she quickly hid it between stacks of her clothes in her closet as soon as Willow and Xander went home.

Xander, on the other hand, gave her an x-box game about vampire slayers. The ironic thing was Buffy didn't have the player. He knew that, but he could care less because she would play it at Spike's place. And as soon as it was left at his house, it would become a permanent possession there. Hence, Xander would be able to play it there as well. Smart ass. 

And Joyce, she was too caught up with her work. So she gave Buffy a one-day shopping spree, allowing her daughter to shop till she dropped with her platinum credit card. Buffy was satisfied enough with her mother's decision though she hadn't decided when she would do it.

"This is not working," Buffy whined. The whole getting some fresh air to take her mind off of Spike was not working at all. She quickened her pace as if to erase Spike from her brain faster, without acknowledging a huge body was about to bump into her. "Sorry," she instinctively apologized as she looked up to the person in front of her. 

"Whoa, what's the rush, baby? Running after the time, I see." A broad shouldered, dirty blond man was staring down at her. He had plastered an amused smile on his façade, twinkles in his blue eyes. Buffy stared at him, agape. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

_Meanwhile…_

"…you should see the features on the Star Wars II I just bought yesterday. They're really cool. They even have an interview with that hot chick Natalie Portman. And I can't wait for the next Star- Spike, are you listening to me?" Xander asked in annoyance at his friend who kept silence and looked around the street, trying to find something interesting other than Xander's praises to Star Wars movies. 

"Yeah, I'm listening. You said about Star Wars, right?" Spike finally gave his full attention to the brunette. 

"And??" Xander narrowed his eyes in suspicion. 

"And that interview with that hot bird Natalie Sportman." 

"Portman," the brunette corrected. Spike rolled his eyes, then resumed his walking with Xander in tow. Xander spoke again, changing the subject. "So, did Buffy like the necklace you bought her?" 

"What?!? Oh, that. Yeah, she liked it," Spike answered soberly. His mind drifted to their birthday routine two days ago. He hadn't seen her since then nor had he called her. He guessed he was still confused by the mixed feelings he had towards his best friend, his surrogate sister. 

Xander frowned, unsatisfied with Spike's response. His eyes soon squinted when he caught a glimpse of Buffy and a guy inside the Expresso Pump. "Hey, isn't that Buffy? Who's that with her?" 

Spike swung his head at Xander's pointed finger. He squinted his eyes as well to see a better look at the said guy. "Is that…"

"Riley," Spike completed his best friend's question, which was now more like a statement to him. He gritted his teeth at the laughing couple. The scene was disturbing him. So that lips-brushing thing never meant anything to her. Fine. As if it would bother him anyway. "Come on, we've got a soccer game to catch." He stomped his boots away. 

"Wait, shouldn't we say-"

"I said let's go, Harris," Spike called more sternly over his shoulder. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Buffy was laughing heartily at Riley's jokes. This guy was not only good looking, but a charmer as well. He knew how to make Buffy blush in four shades of red. She never noticed Spike and Xander walking by on the other side of the street, in front of the Expresso Pump. 

"I still can't believe such a beautiful girl like you doesn't have a boyfriend in tow. I know choosing a guy would be difficult especially when you have so many candidates patiently lined up for you." Buffy blushed again for the umpteenth time. She lowered her head timidly at his intent stare. "If it's okay for me to jump the line, would you like to have dinner with me Saturday night?" 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"And what did you say?" Willow asked in enthusiasm. Buffy smiled at her, her eyes sparkled with anticipation. 

"I said I would like to." She broke into a huge grin, followed by Willow. 

"Oh, wow! You have a date this Saturday! I'm so happy for you." Willow jumped to hug the blond. Buffy almost stumbled backwards but was saved by the lockers behind her. 

"Did someone say something about a date?" Spike tilted his head to the side as he looked at the girls. Two heads turned to his voice immediately. Willow pulled away from Buffy while her best friend smiled awkwardly at Spike. 

"Yes, indeed. Buffy, here, has a date this Saturday night." She swung her body from side to side in joy and nudged Buffy in the arm. Spike frowned in response. 

"Who with?" 

"You'll never believe who it is. It's Riley!" Willow chipped in, answering for the petite blond. "Oh crap. I'm supposed to meet Xander now. I'll see you guys next week. Bye." The redhead scurried down the hall, leaving the blond duo behind. 

As soon as Willow was out of sight, Spike spoke up. "YOU have a date with Riley?!?" He spat Riley's name with repulsion. 

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Is it that bad?"

"With the captain cardboard, yes I would say it IS that bad." 

"Basketball."

"What?!?" Spike furrowed his brows in confusion. 

"Basketball. He's the captain of basketball, not cardboard." Buffy corrected him, ignoring his sarcasm. It was Spike's turn to roll his eyes. 

"I know who he is, Buffy. In fact I know everything about him. He's your regular nancy boy that doesn't give a shit about anything." 

Buffy sighed. 'Here he goes again. Judging every guy I date.' 

"Yeah yeah…whatever, Spike. Look, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later." 

There, in the empty hall, Spike was left with frustration in his head.  

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

The phone rang perkily in Spike's room. He tried to block the noise by putting a pillow over his head. But it didn't help. He had been attempting to get some sleep early this evening, catching up on some winks for the lack of the last two nights' sleep. Buffy's date was, of course, one of the reasons he couldn't doze off. The phone still rang continuously. 

"Oh balls. Can't a bloke get a descent sleep for once?" Spike grumbled as he felt around for the wireless. "'Lo??" He muffled his greeting under his pillow. A sob was heard from the other line. 

"Spike…" He immediately got up and sat straight on his bed. 

"Buffy? What's wrong?" Full concern was evident in his voice. He hated to hear her crying. It tore his heart apart seeing her in despair. Another sob filled through his ears again. 

"Spike, can you-" Another sob. "Can you pick me up please?" Her voice trembled in a plea. 

"'Course. Where are you?" Spike flicked the table lamp on and grabbed a pen and paper as Buffy gave him an address, again in between sobs and sniffles. "Stay where you are, pet. I'll be right there." 

_to be continued_

(A/N: I know I know, I messed the spuffy up but hey, there'll be no story without conflicts, right? Don't worry, I'll make it up to you guys on the next chappies which I'm currently working on. Hint: the spuffiness will be in the air, kiddies! LOL…

@MissKitty: **pouts** hey, don't you want to talk to me in the forum anymore?!?)


	19. Chapter 18: Drenched in Rain and Tears

(A/N: Sorry for the late update. Just got the beta'd chap two days ago and I couldn't post it straight away because of my ridiculous software pre-work, which took me a whole day to do it and was only worth 0.5%!! Why did I bother to do it?? Hmm...I don't know, maybe because my tutor was so darn cute and I wanted to please him?? LOL Okay, end of my rant here. Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews! You guys surely know how to make a girl blush in six shades of red :) ) 

**Chapter 18: Drenched in Rain and Tears**

The street was dark, lit only by the light of cars passing by. The rain was pouring heavily; the drops hit Buffy's skin almost too severely. She wrapped her arms around herself protectively, her lips trembling both from the coldness and fear. Her tears were already washed away by the rain and she couldn't tell if she was still crying or not. 

A faint luminosity from the distance neared her. She was torn between looking forward to see the car or hiding from it. After all, she should be alert with strangers in the middle of the night. The car did stop in front of her. She could have jumped in joy as soon as she recognized it, but she was too weak and freezing. 

Buffy rushed towards the person who had just exited the car and jumped into his arms. 

"Buffy…" Spike's voice trailed off. 'Warm her up first, ask questions later.' He thought decidedly. He shrugged his duster off and covered her thin body with it. "Come on, get inside the car." Stroking her upper arms as if to warm her up, he led her to the car. 

Inside the car, Spike immediately turned the heater on, making it as hot as possible. Buffy pulled her feet onto the seat and curled next to him, seeking his body heat. As he put his arm around her, he felt her attempting to restrain her sobs and her body still shivering from the chill of the night. The tears ran freely down her cheeks and she buried her head into his chest. "Shh…s'okay, baby. I'm here with you," Spike murmured soothingly, he planted a kiss on the top of her head and stroked her upper arm again with his free hand. 

"Just take me to your place, please…" Her voice still trembled. "I…I don't wanna see my mum like this." Spike gave a nod at her inquiry. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Once they arrived at the Giles' residence, he guided her to his room quietly. It was midnight now and Spike didn't want to disturb his father from sleeping.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a low voice.

"NO!" Buffy practically yelled in between her sniffles. 

"Shhh…dad's sleeping, keep your voice down," he whispered, glancing outside his room before closing the door. Buffy was still sobbing and sniffling. She glared at him through her swollen eyes, then wiped her tears away and her nose with the back of her hand. 

"What happened?" Spike inquired gently. 

"Riley…" He sighed at that instant. He should have guessed it. He reminded himself why he let her date that ponce. Oh, yeah…because she was too bleeding stubborn! "He—" Buffy paused to swipe her hand under her running nose. "He cheated on me on our FIRST date!" She let out a shriek at the last part.

"WHAT?!?" Spike yelled in shock. He took a deep breath, composing himself after realizing he had made a loud noise. "What. Happened. Tonight?" He asked between gritted teeth, his fists were on each side, ready to punch on the person who had made her cry. 

To his relief, Buffy managed to control herself. Her sobs had died down even though her voice still cracked. "Well, we went to dinner. Then we decided to go to the Bronze. I excused myself to go to the rest room and when I came back, he…he was making out with another girl!" Buffy wailed. 

Spike closed his eyes momentarily. His knuckles already turned white as his jaw clenched achingly. This was why she should have listened to him. A part of his brain wanted to tell her "I told you so," but it wouldn't be wise now after looking at her state. God, how he wanted to rip Riley's head off of his bulgy frame. Guess it had to wait until she could calm down. 

Looking at her soaked clothes, he decided to put Riley bashing aside for now. "You need to get out of your clothes, luv. You're gonna be sick in no time." 

Buffy looked down at her own clothes. She nodded and started unbuttoning her long-sleeved shirt. She stopped when something registered in her mind. "You know what the ironic thing was? Harmony, was the one he was kissing! Can you believe it? It's Harmony for god's sake." She whined, already forgetting her recent task. 

Spike sighed in exasperation. "Buffy, you're going to be sick if you don't get out of your sodding clothes," he stated again. 

"I know, but I just don't get him, Spike…" She ignored his warning. She was too deep into rationalizing what the hell she had done wrong that made Riley turned to Harmony of all people. She really felt like an idiot. The last time she felt like one was in the first encounter with Angel, when she kept stuttering and staring at him dumbfounded while he offered her his most charming smile. She thought there might be the words 'I'm such an idiot Part 2. Now showing in my nearest anatomy part.' plastered on her forehead. How could she let Riley's charming smile and overloaded compliments fool her? She really WAS an idiot. 

Spike heaved a sigh before stepping towards her. If she didn't dry herself in a minute, he would need to take care of her being ill and keep up with her constant whining. No, nobody would want that. Whiny Buffy equalled irritated Spike, which equalled the death of Spike. He began unclasping her top buttons, taking over her task. Buffy didn't seem to mind, she continued to fuss over Riley and the fact that he kissed Harmony on his and Buffy's first date. 

"I mean, how could he choose her over me? Come on, this is Harmony we're talking about. What did he see in her anyway?" Spike only nodded repeatedly as his response. 

He stopped his nodding when her soaked bra was uncovered fully from her blouse. It was black, matching the colour of her top. The straps were thin and black laces embroidered the bottom line of each cup. Spike swallowed hard at the vision, his drenched jeans becoming tight especially once he saw her nipples hardened from the cold against the thin fabric. 

"Nice lingerie, luv," he couldn't help but quip. Buffy only looked down at her bra and shrugged. "Oh, thanks. Anyway…" She continued her rambling. Spike raised a scarred brow at her casual reply. He adjusted his jeans from his tightness, which thankfully Buffy didn't notice. He discarded the shirt on the floor and started unbuttoning her denim skirt and unzipping it. Then he let the skirt drop and was met with a pair of matching panties. He sucked in his breath sharply and couldn't stop himself from remarking. "And you've got matching knickers too," Spike mumbled, more to himself. 

He took a step back as he observed her whole figure. She was truly magnificent. Her skin was tan and flawless. Tiny droplets of rain still remained on around her body. Her taut stomach looked smooth and glistening. Her young breasts seemed soft and supple, not like he had ever touched them anyway. Buffy had grown up into a beautiful young woman. The last time he saw her half-naked…or fully naked for that matter was when they were still kids, having a bath together. 

"Spike, have you been listening to what I've said?" Buffy interrupted his train of thought. He snapped his head to face her.

"Yeah…I have," he answered unsurely, contemplating what he would say to her if she asked him to repeat the words she said. Unlike the last time, Spike's ears still paid attention to Xander's praises to Star Wars. 

In a flash, he fled to the bathroom to get some towels and handed one to her. "Here, dry yourself." Stepping out of the loop of her skirt, she took the white towel from him and began drying her hair. Spike couldn't take her half-naked form in anymore. His shaft was throbbing painfully, only by glancing at her nipples that were seen through her bra. He unfolded the other towel in his hand and wrapped it around her protectively. As soon as she was covered up, he moved to the wardrobe, grabbed a t-shirt and boxers, and gave them to her. "Wear these," Spike ordered. He bent down, collecting her discarded clothes, then he turned around to face her again. 

"I'll…just put these into the washer and then call your mom." At her nod, he exited his room and strode widely to the basement, he couldn't wait to get far from her. 

Spike tossed her clothes into the washer, poured the amount of liquid detergent and set the water level and temperature up. Turning the switch on, he waited for the water to start filling up the barrel as he put his hands on the lid and hung his head down. He took a necessary deep breath, shaking his head and letting a small humourless laugh escape his lips. 

Never in his life did he struggle to compose himself for controlling his libido. After all, girls had always given themselves to him. There was no unnecessary lust-restraining, grunts stifling in his chest, or jeans adjusting. But this girl was different. This girl was his best friend for Christ's sake. The person who he supposedly claimed as his non-existent sister. He laughed bitterly as he thought of how Xander would react if he told him that he had been lusting for his surrogate sister. Stripping out off his wet clothes, he grabbed freshly washed sweats, and slipped them on. 

As he re-entered his room, Buffy was just about done drying her hair in the open bathroom. He decided he needed to call Joyce soon, unless if he wanted to give her a panic disorder. When he picked the wireless from its cradle, Buffy walked out of the bathroom and headed to the door. She mumbled to him while bringing damp towels in her arms. "I'm going to put the rest of the clothing in the washer too."

Spike frowned at her declaration. The rest of the clothing? What the hell did she mean with the rest…oh my god, he realized, she wore nothing underneath her borrowed clothes! The thought made him groan loudly and his member throb harder. "Bloody hell!" He muttered his curse. Did she have to tell him that? His mind led him to a sleeping Buffy sans panties. Damn, now he had to sleep as far from her as he could so that he wouldn't accidentally touch her on the forbidden areas. 

Snapping out of his dazed mind, he made a quick dial to Joyce, telling her that Buffy would spent the night with him, during which, he promised himself, he would not let anything illicit happen between them. He heaved a sigh as he put the wireless back on its cradle. Then he let his body slump into the bed and lay flat on his back. 

Buffy came in just when he clasped his hands under his head. 'Here we go, to snuggle or not to struggle…that is the question.' He thought ridiculously as he peered at her out the corner of his eyes. 

To answer his question, Buffy climbed over the bed and curled up against him, draping one arm over his waist and resting her head on his chest. Her breasts, though covered with an old t-shirt, sent their warmth through his chest. 

Spike bit back his groan at the feel of her. Well, putting a distance between them just wouldn't work. Sighing, he finally gave in and enveloped her in his arms. 

After a long silence, "Spike, no bashing okay." She stated simply in a childlike voice. Spike tossed his head back to look at her, furrowed his brows, acting like he didn't know what she was talking about.

"What do you mean, pet?" She rolled her eyes, sniffling once or twice. 

"You know damn well what I mean, Spike. No bashing, no harming Riley after this incident. I don't want everyone to start mocking me with 'Ooh...here goes Spike, Buffy's personal hitman!'...again..."

Spike feigned shock, then defended himself, "And it's alright for you to attack Dru when she cheated on me?" 

Buffy gave a weak, sheepish smile before responding, "Well she totally deserved it though...and that's the only time I attacked one of your exes. Unlike you who kept leaving bruises on every guy I dated." 

She punched his arm playfully. Spike only chuckled as he rubbed his punched arm briefly. "Just go to sleep, luv. We'll discuss this tomorrow morning, okay?" 

"Okay but please, please promise me, no bashing Riley at all." 

Spike heaved a sigh, finally conceded, "Oh bugger! Y'know my hands were itchy to get to that thick skull of his." Buffy immediately punched him again, this time was serious. She gave a stern look, telling him she would hear none of it. "Oww! Okay okay...Fine. I promise, no bashing Riley..." He gave a truce sign, but silently added '...only when you're around, pet, only when you're around.'

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Buffy glanced at her surroundings. Everyone shot her what seemed like murderous glares, especially the cheerleaders and well, mostly the girls her age. She felt as if she was an outsider in the school she had attended for like decades. 'Man…what did I do wrong now?' She mentally groaned, exasperated at the students' attitudes towards her. 

Choosing to ignore them, she shoved her books inside her locker and took the needed ones from it and put them into her bag. The course of her action was halted when she caught sight of Riley heading towards her. "Great, do I need to face him at this time of day?" Buffy muttered her question to no one in particular. Her brows soon creased into a frown as soon as she saw his face marred with bruises. The young man instead smirked at her, but it wasn't charming or sexy. It was rather vicious or disturbing to say the least. 

"Well Buffy, I won't say I was surprised to see your hero came after me yesterday. After all, you surely begged him for it." He threw her a sickeningly sweet smile before strolling past her. Buffy was left shocked, though she recovered soon enough and quickly finished her packing. Stomping her heels through the hall, Buffy scowled at the explanation that had formed in her brain.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"I told I made it clear with the no bashing Riley," she burst inside Spike's room, her face was flushed with wrath. Spike only rolled his eyes. He kept tending his left swollen purple eye. 

"Well, then I forgot to make it clear to you that my promise only applied when you're around," he retorted. 

"Spike!" Buffy uttered a growl at him, hands firmly attached on her hips. Ugh, he's impossible! He would never listen, would he? 

He ignored her, continuing to mend his bruised eye. He was lucky enough he was smaller and nimbler than the captain cardboard. Hence, the only damages he got were his black eye and split lip. 

Buffy sighed in exasperation and pity for him. She exited the room but soon re-entered with a bag of frozen vegies. "Come here," taking his hand from his face, she motioned for him to sit next to her on the bed. Spike complied. After examining his eye shortly, she pressed the frozen bag against it callously. Spike winced sharply in an instant. 

"Oi! It hurts, woman!" He glared at her with one unharmed eye. 

"Good. This is for not keeping your promise." 

"I've told you my promise only- Oww!" Spike doubled over his yell as she pressed the bag harder against his face. "What the hell was that for?" 

"THAT was for getting away from said promise," she said calmly. Spike rolled his eyes. Buffy spoke again, but more quietly, "and for causing me to gain death glares from the cheerleaders." 

"What?!? I can't believe those silly bints defended that wanker," Spike snarled, incredulous. The petite blond only heaved a sigh and shrugged her shoulders. 

"Just forget about it," she stated, putting an end to this conversation. A sly smile then crept over her lips when she looked up to him under her eyelashes. "Did you kick him in the groin?"

A proud grin slowly curved in his mouth. "Wasn't that the point of bashing him after all?"

_to be continued_

(A/N: Hmm…did someone ask for a naked Buffy before?? **nudges InfoGal and snickers** Okay, so it's a half-naked Buffy, but hey that's enough to make Spike goggle-eyed! LOL MissKitty, your 'term' would be in the next chappy and it's coming up pretty soon ;) Oh btw, I'm still posting the chaps to Spuffyarchives.com. Just hope the elves won't have so much trouble updating the stories.)


	20. Chapter 19: Kiss and Tell

(A/N: Hey all, just wanted to tell you that I haven't forgotten about Cordy's letter but it won't be revealed any time soon. So, sorry about that and to make it up to you, here's some spuffy lovin. ;) Thank you so much for all the reviews! I love you guys!!)

**Chapter 19: Kiss and Tell**

Spike was almost sure this wasn't his house, if the dining table full of shopping bags was any indication. But the black leather couch in the living room was certainly his as he reminded himself of the time he implored his dad to buy it. Giles wasn't into leather like his son, so getting a leather couch that cost a fortune wasn't his idea of replacing their old one. 

"What in the bloody hell is this?" Spike peered into the bags. He highly doubted it was his dad's doing. Hats, accessories, tops, jeans, shoes…lingerie? Now, we're talking. He was startled by the door opening and soon shoved the red thong – which he was holding up in the air – back inside a random bag. 

Buffy stuck her head from Spike's room when she heard someone curse in the dining room. "Oh, it's you." She opened the door wider and let herself come out of the room fully. 

Spike was struck, speechless when he saw her. An alarm then buzzed in his brain once he noticed what she was wearing. "Where the hell do you think you're going with that…that…" He waved his hand, gesturing towards her clothes. "…skimpy thing," he finished. 

The petit blond looked down at herself, observing her own outfit. She was wearing a short denim skirt that barely reached her middle thigh, and a black leather tube that wasn't enough to cover the whole of her stomach, displaying her perfectly shaped navel and a taut scrap of her tan flesh. She had left her boots this time, changing them with chunky heels whose laces snaked around her ankles into several rows. 

"It's not that…skimpy." She studied her outfit again after glancing at Spike for a brief second. 

"Not that skimpy? Buffy, you barely have a metre of fabric covering your body. Where the hell are you going anyway?" Spike repeated his unanswered question. 

Buffy sighed. "I'm going to this party that someone from our high school is throwing. Xander and Wills are going to be there as well." 

"And why are you dressing up like a skank in my house?" Buffy rolled her eyes heavenwards.

"Because I can't dress up like this while my mum's at home. And again, I'm telling you, it's not THAT skanky. Please…other girls in the party probably dress in less than what I'm wearing right now."

"Lesser, eh?" Spike pondered her words for a moment. It might be good to sidetrack him from thinking of his diverse feelings towards the slender girl in front of him. "Give me fifteen minutes. I'm coming with you." He scurried into his room and immediately jumped in for a quick shower. 

Buffy groaned and rolled her hazel eyes. "Oh this is marvellous. Just what I need right now, a protective brother a.k.a best friend tagging along," she muttered under her breath. As soon as she finished her complaint, Spike's phone rang in his room. Buffy hurriedly picked it up before it stopped buzzing. 

"Hello? Oh, hey Wills. What?!? Why not?" Buffy was now pouting, clear disappointment evident in her features. She sighed in discontent. "Fine, I let you go this time but the next time you bail on me, you're gonna wish you were never born coz I'll bring my _pitchfork_ straight to your house and poke it into your ass." A giggle was heard from the redhead's lips. Buffy smiled at that despite herself. After a brief goodbye, she hung up and tossed the wireless carelessly onto the bed. 

Spike had just come out of the bathroom when he saw Buffy flop her body down on his chair and whirl a pen idly on the study desk. "Who was that, luv?" 

Buffy looked up to see him only in a pair of black jeans. "Wills. She said she couldn't come because she had to visit her sick auntie with the rest of the fam." She sighed again.

"And Xander? Is he still coming?" 

"Not sure. She didn't mention him. If he makes it, then that's good. If he doesn't, well guess that leaves the two of us alone then." 

Spike only shrugged in agreement. He had put his usual tight black shirt on, then went back to the bathroom to fix his unruly hair. Buffy glanced at the alarm clock. Damn, she was going to be late if Xander decided to come in the end. "Spike, come on. We're gonna be late," she yelled, tapping her right heel impatiently. There was no reply. What took him so long? Men were supposed to be the ones who waited eagerly for women, not the other way around. "Spike? COME. ON! What the hell are you doing there?" Buffy got up and headed towards the open bathroom. 

"Hang on, I still can't get my hair fixed. It keeps fleeing its sodding way." Spike was getting irritated with his bleached hair that stuck out weirdly. The petit blond rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time.

"Follow me. I'll fix it up for you." She snatched a small jar of gel before pulling him with her to the bed. She sat him down, opened the lid and scooped a good amount of the sticky liquid with her fingers. Rubbing her hands together, she began working on his peroxide locks, messing and tossing them to create a wild and spiky look. After a few minutes, she finally stepped back to examine her work. 

"There, it looks good on you." Spike though, didn't look convinced. He once again walked back to the bathroom and observed the efforts she had put on his hair in front of an oval mirror. He grinned to himself. 'Not bad, not bad at all.' It was indeed not bad at all. In fact, he definitely looked gorgeous and damn sexy that way. 

"Nice work, luv. Now let's go, we're gonna be late." Buffy rolled her eyes again. 

"And whose fault would that be?" She retorted behind his back, following him to the front door.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

It wasn't too hard to find the address where the party was held. In fact, the person who threw it was actually one of the soccer team members – the people Spike mostly knew quite well. 

"Hey, Spike! Glad you made it." Gunn slapped his back good-naturedly. Spike nodded and smiled.

"Nice party you have 'ere." He took his surrounding in. A bunch of teenage girls were giggling in one corner while some couples were making out in others. Music was blaring throughout the house. 

"I'm going to get some drink. You want one?" Buffy leaned over to whisper in his ear. Spike shook his head no and she strode away to the kitchen, leaving the bleached boy and the dark guy to a friendly chat. 

She wasn't about to eavesdrop the conversation from the kitchen when an infamous yet very familiar annoying voice mentioned her name. "...and there Buffy was, informing her precious 'bodyguard' and asked him to beat the hell Riley up. What a bitch! Riley soo clearly didn't want her, but ME and she just didn't wanna accept it," Harmony whined to her best friend Kendra. 

Buffy's ears reddened in a flash. Her blood started to boil with anger and disbelief, her nostrils flared like a bull ready to attack. She was appalled by the statement Harmony made. 'I. Am. A bitch?!? I. AM. A BITCH?!? Who the hell does she think she is, Queen Amadala?' 

"Damn Xander!" She spat a curse. Apparently, Xander's 'Star Wars virus' had affected Buffy. She idly wondered how Willow and Spike coped with that, what with them being his girlfriend and his male best friend respectively. She then took a deep breath to regain her control before entering the kitchen. Putting a plastic sickeningly sweet smile on her face, she stepped forwards to Harmony and Kendra. 

They turned their heads to the intruder, both already expected she'd heard everything but didn't flinch. Instead Harmony looked down at the petite blond with boredom and revolt in her eyes. Buffy still smiled amiably at her although her teeth were aching from gritting so hard. 

"I'm a bitch? Hm...Have you forgotten about that one time when you desperately wanted to lay your hands on Spike but he just brushed you off? Sad, wasn't it when the guy you had the hots for never gave you even one single glance. And have you forgotten about that cheap scheme you came up with when no one asked you to the dance? What was it about again? Oh yes, you told everyone that Spike asked you to the dance but you rejected him and he was so determined that he threatened every single guy that was about to ask you. So, tell me. Who's the bitch now??" Buffy threw the two agape girls a sinister smile before she walked out of the kitchen, disregarding the drink she had come to get. No further than two feet away, she stopped and turned around, facing the girls again. "Oh, this time, don't forget that MY 'bodyguard' happens to be your long time crush and I, happens to be his best friend. So if you try another lame scheme to get him again, you know I'd hunt you like I did with your so-called Brit friend, Drusilla." She swayed around and resumed her steps leaving the girls wide-eyed. 

It was Harmony's turn to fume, she was about to go after the petite blond but was held back firmly by the arm. Kendra swung her around, disgust palpable in her eyes. "You told me it was just for covering his ass up?!?" Harmony open and shut her ruby lips, only came up with nothing for a response. Kendra held her hand in the air as if telling her friend to talk to her hand. "I am so NOT your best friend anymore." With that, she stomped her two hundred dollars chunky heels out of the kitchen. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

In the meantime, Spike was searching around for his companion. He was starting to get bored there, standing in the end of the hallway. Gunn had gone to greet his guests. Spike shoved his hands in his duster pocket, leaning against the wall as his eyes wandered around the area. His blue orbs froze when he saw a medium brunette girl standing near the fireplace and smiling timidly at him. He smiled back, then made his way towards her. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"I asked Spike to beat him?!? Geez, if I wanted to, I could have done it myself. That bastard," Buffy said in a huff, stomping her heels gruffly on the wooden floor. She stopped dead when she saw Riley and his two friends, heading her way. Her eyes narrowed into slits and a sneer started forming in her lips. "You said I was unwanted? I'll show you how so wanted I am." She strode in the long hall and came to a halt in its end to survey the living room. There were only single girls and a few couples kissing and making moony eyes on their respective partners. 'Crap. There's not even one single guy here. Can my night be any worse?' She started to look around worriedly, glancing at the upcoming Riley every once in a while. Her hazel eyes finally rested on the person beside her. 'Spike?!?' She contemplated her option. She was getting desperate to make Riley fume and if it was Spike who was the only available guy, then so be it. 'Oh well, he'd do.' Buffy shrugged, then stopped his pace.

"Spike, do me a favor." Spike only glanced briefly at her, soon looking back at the awaiting girl across the living room. 

"Can't it wait? I'm approaching a chit 'ere." He smiled at the brunette apologetically as if telling her to wait for him just for a moment. 

"No, Riley is heading towards us." She hissed, peering at the dirty blond out of the corner of her eyes. 

Spike glimpsed at the said person. He was starting to fume again with loath for the taller guy. 

"What kind of favor? Do you want me to beat the sodding hell out of him again?" He cracked his knuckles, ready to pummel Riley. 

"Not that kind! You've done that already." She hissed in annoyance. She was really anxious by now as she watched Riley only a few feet away from them. 

"Then what?!?" Spike was getting annoyed as well, he was anxious himself to go to the now impatient brunette. 

"Kiss me. Kiss me now." 

"What?!? Oh, hell no. Why the bleeding hell should I do that to you?" Spike widened his eyes at her blunt request.

"Come on, Spike. We don't have much time. He's getting really close now." Buffy was pleading in desperation, shaking his arms in the process. Riley and his friends, on the other hand, were laughing at the jokes Forrest was telling them.

"But-" He was cut off when she grabbed his head with one hand and crushed her mouth into his. Spike's eyes went wide briefly, but soon fluttered closed as soon as he felt her tongue flicker across the line between his lips, coaxing him to part them. He was rather taken aback by how good it felt. 'So this is what kissing Buffy feels like. Damn, Angel was one bloody lucky git!' Somehow his brain still managed to form a thought. Instinctively, he parted his lips and let her tongue massage his teasingly. One arm snaked around her back and the other slipped under hers, grabbing her waist to deepen the kiss. 

Buffy tried to peer at Riley's way but found it difficult to open her eyes as she felt Spike's hands roaming around her body. Her hand was now running through his curls. Then it slid down to the nape of his neck, creating small circles with her fingers. Her free arm draped over his shoulder, holding onto him as the kiss intensified passionately. Spike groaned against her mouth at the sensation. This was supposed to be a brief kiss, just for showing Riley that she was still wanted. But by some means, it had extended unlike she intended to. 

Riley was bragging about Sam, the college girl he had started dating only a few days ago when he came to an abrupt halt at the scene playing before his eyes. His blue orbs flared up with rage and repulsion. After what Spike did to him, now she had to thank Spike by kissing him in front of them? 

"Dude, isn't that the chick who you said kept begging to come back to you?" Forrest chuckled. Graham, his other friend joined him. "Guess she won't be grovelling over you any time soon." Both of Riley's friends soon broke into laughter. Shooting death glares at the blond couple, Riley marched away from them with heavy tension in his bulky shoulders. Forrest and Graham only shook their heads and followed him.  

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Across the living room, Amy Madison was waiting nervously for the bleached boy who was on his way to her. She instantly frowned when she saw a slender blond dressed in tiny outfit that left nothing to the imagination, coming to stop his steps. Looking down at her own, she began fidgeting anxiously. She had had a green knee-length dress, which didn't show so much skin on the chest area. Sure it was sexy, but it wasn't as slutty and hot as the blonde's. She was already getting impatient of the hold up the blond girl had created. And as she was going to approach him herself, the blond couple crushed their mouths into each other. Her eyes widened at the sight, her face crumpled into indignation. She stomped her heels in a huff and grumbled, "Men. They always go for the lesser dressed ones." With that, she strode crossly into the hall, shooting a glare at them on her way. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

They finally broke apart after the long, passionate kiss, taking a much-needed gulp of air. Both blonds jumped away slightly from each other as if they had just realized what they had done. Eyeing each other nervously, they made an attempt to breathe as normally as possible. Their faces were flushed from their body heat that seemed to increase to forty degrees in a flash. 

Buffy was the first one to speak. "I-I guess we should call it a night. There's not much to do or see here." She suggested and offered him an awkward smile, completely unaware of Xander, who might come to the party and be looking for them. Spike nodded in agreement, he'd already forgotten about the brunette girl as well…or even seen her pass them by. 

"Yeah, guess so." He mumbled. The blond couple then walked out of the house with inept silence.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Another awkward silence fell between them on their way home. Neither had spoken a word to each other. They just sat in the car, staring directly at the front while Spike's DeSoto rolled, heading towards the Summers' residence.

Somehow in between her train of thought, Buffy's brain ultimately registered the words Forrest said about her at the party. 'Damn, that bastard. Who the hell does he think he is? I'm grovelling over him? Pfft! You wish!' She secretly scowled at her inner monologue. Then a satisfied smile replaced her frown as she remembered how Riley stomped away from them. Though she didn't see his face at that time, she could feel him seething with passion. 'That should teach him good.' 

Thank heavens, she had left that party, otherwise she probably would have ripped his head off. And no, she didn't want to do that in her mini outfit. God knew what would be left on her body if she started strangling him. She'd most likely go home naked with the clothes completely torn from her. 

Spike snapped her from her thoughts with a gentle voice. "We're here, luv." Buffy turned her head to look at him. 

"Huh?" At his pointed finger to her house, she only came up with an "Oh". She was ready to get out of his car when something struck her. "Oh no. I can't go home like this. M-My mum would ground me for weeks if she saw me with this outfit." She looked back at him in horror. She had planned to spend the night at Spike's place since Giles would mostly likely be asleep by the time she came back from the party. And Spike, well he might mind to see her wearing such a – as he called it – skimpy dress to a party, but he would never tell Joyce that her daughter had possessed such extreme attire. 

Spike groaned and rolled his blue orbs. "So what are you suggesting, pet?" He asked, though he already knew her answer.

"Well, I was planning to sleep over at your house. That's why I've left my overnight bag there along with the ones from my shopping spree with Willow this afternoon." She could see he wasn't thrilled about it and neither was she. But that was the only solution she could think of.

Spike sighed in defeat. He was obviously far from happy with her plan but he couldn't bail on her and tell her to go home to dear momma. Firing the engine up again, he brought his DeSoto and the relieved blond girl home. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

They entered the house as quietly as mice, stepping on the marble floor cautiously as to not stumble over things in darkness. Once they were inside his room, they both let out a sigh of relief, pleased that they hadn't woken Giles up. But as soon as they looked at each other, both of them started fidgeting, unsure of what they had to do next. 

Spike made the first real action, peeling his duster off and draping it on the head of the chair. Buffy instead went to her duffel bag, bending down as she fished through its content to find her sleepwear. The bleached young man immediately looked away from the sight of her skirt hitching up and almost showing her thong, while he suppressed a groan in his chest. 

Seeing as there was no other way he wouldn't look at her backside anytime soon, he dragged his feet away to the bathroom after grabbing some old tee and sweats from his wardrobe. Normally, he would sleep half-naked. But tonight, he felt it was necessary to put some top on. He supposed it might help both of them to be comfy around each other while sleeping. Oh god, he hadn't thought about that. He wasn't sure how he would sleep next to her without touching her at all. Should he sleep on the couch? No, bad idea. Giles would suspect something going on between his son and surrogate daughter – which was in fact absolutely nothing outrageous to be worried about. Riiiighhhttt. Spike snorted grimly as the truth hit him hard. Yes, everything had changed between them. Since the time at the beach. He finally knew from there on, he had started seeing her in a different way, far from being in a sibling relationship.

When he exited the bathroom, Buffy had laid down on his bed in her light blue tank top and same coloured sweats. She had her back on him, facing the wall and appearing to be fast asleep. Sighing, Spike climbed over and lay flat on his back. Turning his body to face her back, he contemplated if he should do something before he dozed off as well. But what? Hugging her? Kissing her goodnight? Or wrapping his arms around her like they normally did? He decided it was best to just sleep tight. With that decision made, he turned his body around and flipped the light off, his back facing hers. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

One arm found itself draped over her waist, then move upwards to her shoulder, caressing the soft skin of its back with his thumb, drawing small circles. He leaned forwards to kiss the small area he was stroking and started to plant more kisses around her shoulder blade and the area where her upper arm and shoulder were joined.

She turned around to face him and before she knew it, his mouth pressed demandingly on hers. One of his arms snaked its way onto her back, slipping inside from the hem of her top. The other slid under her body to cup her ass and gave the globe a light squeeze. His tongue swiped delicately from her bottom lip to the top, anxiously waiting for her lips to part. She complied and was soon rewarded with their tongues battling, trying to dominate each other. Moans escaped them as the kiss deepened, burning like fire. 

Both of their hands were groping each other, wanting to feel every inch of the other's body. She whimpered when he abandoned her lips but soon gasped at the wet kisses he planted starting from her jaw line to the base of her neck. Her left hand rested on his strands, gripping them slightly as the other one worked on his chest, tracing the hard abdomen underneath the fabric. 

Sliding down further, he slipped the strap of her tank top down and licked his way to the upper region of her left breast, placing more open-mouthed kisses on it while occasionally nipping it lightly. He moaned against the soft flesh, it was much better than he had imagined when he observed her half-naked form a few days ago. His hand came to knead the same breast from underside while his thumb rubbed the rosy bud through the cotton material. She moaned loudly as she found herself in a trance. Wrapping her leg around him, she pulled him up for another passionate kiss. For a long minute in that darkened room, they were oblivious to their surrounding, until a familiar British voice called over from outside. 

"William? Buffy? Is that you kids? I thought I heard some noises." 

The couple fluttered their eyes open, finally registering what they were doing in their sleep. They drew apart from each other's lips, resting one forehead against the other. After a few takes of breath, Spike pulled his head back and shouted, "Yeah, da'. It's us, we were…uh…trying to sleep is all."

Giles, who was going to return to his room with his tea in his hand, only nodded even though he knew they wouldn't possibly see his action. "Well, good night kids. Don't stay up too late." He called again as he ascended the stairs next to the kitchen. 

"Night, da'."

"Night, Giles." Spike and Buffy yelled in unison. Staring at their positions, the blond couple withdrew from each other slowly. Buffy even managed to move inches further from him while she straightened her top that had hitched up just below her busts. Their breaths still formed into somewhat pants. 

"Think we better get some sleep now, luv." Buffy nodded vigorously in accord, then quickly turned away from him, facing the wall again. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Before he drifted off to sleep, he had contemplated several possibilities of what would happen the next morning. First, was finding her gone home early in the morning due to their post awkwardness around each other. Second, would be discussing the incidents that would create post awkwardness around each other. And third, was choosing to ignore the whole thing as they fought over their post awkwardness around each other. 

Morning had come with birds chirping in their nests. This was when he soon found out which possibility would fit into their current situation. With closed eyes, he swung an arm across the bed, reaching for her. But all he could feel was a flat sheet underneath his palm. He felt around the bed again, trying to feel her presence. Before he opened his eyes, he already knew the answer. It was the first one. She had gone. 

_to be continued  _

(A/N: I'm borrowing MissKitty's pitchfork here **runs and hides from her before she claims her pitchfork back** Just in case if anyone doesn't know who she is, she's one of the most active people in the spuffy forum, so you won't miss her posts whenever you view a thread. Hehehe. And finally, YAY for some smoochies! I know I've tortured you guys with lots of USTs, but smoochies are finally here!! Yippee…**bouncing back and forth on her seat**)


	21. Chapter 20: Confession

(A/N: Hundred and hundred sorry for the late update, guys! My RL gets in the way and so does my beta's. And that's why she could no longer beta my fic. **sniffles** But I really need to thank Eve for having been my beta and supported me from the beginning of this story. Thank you, hon! And of course, I'd love to thank everyone for still reading and reviewing this fic and my new beta Brianna! Give applause to her everyone! =D )

**Chapter 20: Confession**

Monday. Was never her favourite day of the week. Why? Well, first of all, being back to school, having to listen to boring lessons and getting homework and assignments…never were the things she looked forward to in a million years. Hell, who would anyway?!? Unless you were Willow, that was. Then, there was this Spike problem that had been haunting her sleeps during weekend. Damn him for making her sleepless again for what, the third time now?!? This was all getting seriously disturbing for her. She wondered how it all began. Oh, right. Ever since she witnessed the sinful vision, namely the nakedness of Spike. Not to mention with the help of Cordy who had shoved dirty thoughts into her purely innocent brain. And now all she could think of was Spike with his trademark smirk, Spike with his beloved leather duster, Spike with his gentleness and loving care, Spike with his soft, yet passionate kisses, Spike with…no clothes on…

Seemed her mind drove into that dirty road again. 

"Ugh! Stop it, Buffy!" She demanded herself; these frustrations were giving her splitting headache. It was bad enough she had only slept for 7 hours in the last two nights, and now she had to face the post-awkwardness between them, which was the reason she left early in the morning last Saturday. Every time her home phone rang, her heart skipped a beat, wondering if it was Spike who was calling. To both of her relief and disappointment, Spike hadn't called her during weekend and she hadn't made an attempt to contact him either. 

School came and so far everything went as planned, meaning she kept fleeing every time she caught sight of Spike and succeeded…until it was lunch time.

"Hey Buff!" Buffy grinned widely at the redhead, somehow feeling so much better seeing her female best friend on the lunch table. Her happy face soon crumpled when she heard Willow greet another person. "Hey Spike!" Both blond heads put a halt on their pace as they looked across at each other. Spike was shoving his hands into his duster pockets, and then pulled one of them out to run it through his bleached curls. His face seemed tired but he still looked his best and…were those rings around his eyes? Humph, guess he hadn't slept well either, Buffy somewhat gleefully thought.   

She shifted her feet before deciding to resume her pace towards Willow and Xander. Putting her tray onto the table, she sat tensely on her seat and began playing with her food. Spike also settled on next to her, brushing his thighs slightly against hers, causing both of them to jolt a little. 

"So how was the party last Friday? I'm really sorry again for bailing on you, Buff. And Xander here must feel so ashamed at himself for deceiving you two without even telling both of you that he wouldn't come." Willow shot a glare at her boyfriend.

"Hey, I did leave a message y'know, when they already left for the party. Spike, please tell me you did get my message." Xander pleaded to his best friend, asking for his help so that his girlfriend stopped throwing him death glares. 

"Uh…yeah, I did. You left two messages even." Spike rescued his friend despite of his discomfort at the event that had been brought up. Xander gave him a grateful look before turned to the redhead. 

"See, what did I tell you?" Willow only rolled her eyes, and then set them back to Buffy. 

"Anyway, how was it? I heard Gunn always throws great parties." 

Buffy snapped her head to her, sending her nervous smile before answering, "Well, you know party…music, drinks, people and stuff." She shrugged her shoulders as nonchalantly as possible. But Spike knew she was struggling to maintain her nonchalant attitude. Normally he would toss some witty and smart-ass comments whenever something had made her fidget at remembering it but in this case, he was too, involved in the _'thing'_ that had made _both_ of them squirm at recalling it.  

Willow creased her eyebrows together, unsatisfied with the answer. She was expecting to get some juicy gossip that occurred at the party. "That boring, huh?!?" Buffy simply smiled apologetically after disappointing her friend. She then set her hazel eyes on her food and played with it again. "That's…kinda weird. I was sure, as hell kids had been talking about it this morning, saying something interesting happened there. Hmm…guess both of you had left then." Willow shrugged her shoulders indifferently. 

The relief in Spike and Buffy's eyes instantly vanished at the redhead's comment. They were now filled with alarm and horror. "W-What had they talked about?" Buffy managed to utter her question, swallowing hard to ready herself at Willow's reply. Spike cast a glance at Buffy while waiting for Willow to respond. 

"Oh, just some crazy kids making out in the house's hall. But they said the scene was REALLY hot. It was like watching a free porn movie." Willow broke out in gales of laughter with Xander joined in. 

"Yeah, I wonder who they were. Bet they were those jock and cheerleader who like showing off their lovey-dovey relationship." Xander piped up in between his mirth, eager to find out whom the couple was. 

Buffy and Spike froze at their laughter. They hadn't even considered the people – other than Riley and his minions – who witnessed them kissing and groping that night. They glanced at each other briefly, uneasiness filled them even more. The petite blond suddenly felt a headache coming on as she pondered the possible reactions Willow and Xander would have if they knew that the couple was indeed their closest friends. Shit, this was worse than she thought.

"I…I need to go to the nurse's office. I think I have a headache coming on and want to get some Tylenol and possibly lay down for a while." She got up with shaky hands rested on the table and escaped as fast as she could before Spike could catch up with her. 

The brunette and redhead's laughter died down when they saw Buffy leaving abruptly. Their glee soon washed away by curious frown. "Okay, what is wrong with her? This is not the first time she does that escaping thingy." Xander turned his head to the bleached teen. 

Spike only shook his head and heaved a sigh at the cafeteria exit before he looked at him. "I dunno, mate. I don't know anything at all." He muttered his reply as he stood up and walked away from the lunch table. 

The couple was still left frowning, watching their friend disappearing into the exit door. "Now what the hell is wrong with him? Is there any secret I should know of?" Xander asked again in annoyance. His girlfriend only put her hand on top of his and offered him a rueful smile.  

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

At her free period, Buffy strolled through the empty corridor; books were clutched against her chest as her mind focused on nothing but the lunch's topic. How could she be so stupid? Everyone would obviously find out sooner if Forrest and Graham couldn't keep their mouth shut. Or maybe they would keep quiet since it would embarrass their basketball captain, Riley. Though she wondered, would it be that bad if the whole school residence finally know there had been something going on between those rather-convincing-on-and-off-couple best friends?  

She let out a screech when she felt a strong hand grab her arm and forced her to get out of the hallway. The hand led her to a quiet place below the staircase and she finally got a good look of its owner. After glancing around the area, her captor set his eyes on her. 

"We need to talk," He began. 

Oh, great…talk, something Buffy was always poor at. She inhaled in defeat, knowing that she couldn't escape this _talk_ they were about to have. "Okay…" She responded slowly. "…About what?" playing dumb with her question.

Spike almost rolled his eyes at her feigned dumbness. "About those kisses we had last week." 

"Oh, that…" She ducked her head slightly, unsure what she should say about it. Should she tell him she liked them so much that she wanted to taste his lips again? But what about him? She remembered that that night Spike was going to approach a girl. So, the kiss they shared in the hall probably meant nothing to him. Fearing at the last part of her thought, she immediately informed him, "Well, what do you know, those kisses meant nothing, right? They were just kisses between friends. Y'know, best friends share kisses sometimes." She babbled, offering him a nervous laugh. She lowered her head again when she remembered the last kiss they shared in his bed. That was DEFINITELY not a kiss between friends, not even between best friends and certainly not even close to a kiss between siblings.

Spike tried to hide his disappointment as best as he could. His male ego forced him to react coolly at her announcement. "Yeah…'course. Friends can share kiss sometimes." He affirmed her and Buffy nodded promptly in agreement. 

A long silence fell between them as they looked down to their shoes, both were feeling down at the solution. Each thought the other didn't feel the same way as they did. Spike then looked up to her, grinning mischievously while he stepped forward to her and spoke again, "So, friend's kiss, eh? Then this is just one of them, right pet?" 

Buffy's eyes widened and her heart raced faster when he came slowly like a predator…closer and closer, then leaned down and claimed her mouth for a soft and sweet kiss. Somehow she still managed to grip strongly on her books. She sighed in contentment at the still lingering kiss before she muttered her respond under her breath, "Yeah…o-of course…" Her eyes still fluttered closed. 

Spike bent his head down again. "…And this one as well…?" His left arm snaked around her waist, his right hand cupped and caressed her cheek with his thumb as he tilted his head to the side and claimed her mouth again. This time, it was more passionate and deepened. He licked the edge of her bottom lip then sucked the pink flesh and nibbled it like devouring it graciously. Her books almost fell from her grips but with the whole power she possessed, she kept her best not to loosen them. 

Once they broke apart, Buffy only nodded weakly, her hooded eyes fluttered half open as she responded again, "Uh-huh..." She was trying to sound casual but it came out as a husky whisper. 

Spike repeated his question, "...and this one...?" His own voice also came out huskily. He pushed her to the wall and pressed his body against hers. The books she had desperately been holding on immediately dropped to the floor. Buffy gasped when she felt a new sensation of his warm body being pressed against hers intimately. Without waiting for another second, he took advantage of her half-open mouth by thrusting his tongue inside her, tasting her tongue and massaged it gently. Buffy remained still, her arms dropped limply on each side, too shocked to do anything besides enjoying his ministration. Spike suddenly pulled away between the deep and mind-blowing kisses, causing her to whimper once she lost his touch. She unconsciously clutched his duster collars and pulled him against her at that instant, claiming his mouth back. 

He smiled into their kiss but deepened it anyway while he pressed his body further. His trick was clearly working as he tested her reaction since her body wasn't responding much except her mouth. 'Dammit! He must know I was enjoying it too much.' Buffy cursed silently when she noticed his smile against their kiss. She moaned into his mouth when his warm hand slid inside her blouse and stroked her back in circles. Her arm snaked around his neck to deepen their kiss even more as her hand ruffled his soft tresses. Her other hand rubbed his hard chest up and down, causing him to shiver from the warmth Buffy sent through her palm, even though his navy shirt was blocking its way.

The blond couple immediately stopped their doings when the bell rang perkily through the entire school, indicating that it was time to start the next class. They finally broke away and loosened their grips on each other once their eyes shot open. Spike hung his head down briefly to catch his breath. He then looked up to her, his blue eyes filled with lust, mirroring her clouded hazel ones. 

"I gotta go." He whispered to the panting girl in front of him. His healthy and sensible mind told him to stop their action before it went further or else there was no guarantee what he would do if they got carried away. He pressed his lips against hers long and hard before he murmured his goodbye and broke free from her, leaving a stunned Buffy alone below the staircase. The petite blonde's eyes stretched open heavily as she stood with buckled knees and watched his black clad form vanishing through the hall. She touched her swollen lips gently, closing her eyes as she replayed the previous incident. 'God, those soft lips...' Taking a much-needed breath, she gathered the scattered books and walked purposely towards her next class.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Buffy was awfully quiet when she and Willow wandered around the Main Street after school. Occasionally, she grazed her fingers over her lips and felt the tingling sensations as her mind reminded her of those incredible lips that were Spike's nipping hers deliciously and the way his big hands venturing her body, rubbing and stroking, sending quivers all over her. And oh, how his body pressed against hers sexually…she almost melted into him from the heat she could no longer take. 

"Buffy, I noticed you and Spike didn't talk much at lunch time. Is everything okay between you two?" Willow snapped Buffy out of her stupor, concern marred her features. The blond head stopped her feet immediately; shock replaced her dreamy look in an instant. 

"Huh? I mean what? No…w-why'd you say that?" Buffy stumbled over her words, cursing mutely at the obvious denial. Willow arched one delicate brow at her best friend's reaction. 

"Buffffyyyyy...is there something you need to tell me?" Willow carefully asked her while her eyes narrowed into skeptical slits.

"N-no, o-of course not..." Buffy stammered again. She continued walking, a bit in a rush. But the redhead caught her arm to stop her. Swinging the petite blond, she put her resolve face on. 

'Oh, no. Not that resolve face!' The blonde silently whined as she let out a desperate sigh. After being friends for years, you would think that you could have resisted her resolve face by now. Well, you're absolutely wrong.

Drawing a gulp of air, she confessed in one breath, "SpikeandIkissed." She squeezed her eyes shut momentarily, readying herself at whatever reaction Willow would give her.  

"Oh my god!!" Willow gasped, her green eyes widened but they didn't seem to look straight into Buffy's. 

The petite blond quickly amended her previous answer. "I know, I know...it all happened so quick. Well, the kiss wasn't really quick but y'know what I mean. And it was so awkward afterwards what with the passionate kiss and all..." She rambled on and on but was interrupted by Willow's words.

"Oh my god!" The redhead repeated. "Magic Box has a sale on!!" Willow squealed in excitement. 

"Huh??" A dumbfounded look found its way to Buffy's features.

"Look!" Willow pointed a finger behind Buffy, almost jumping up and down on her feet. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay. Bye..." She started jogging towards the store, knowing that Buffy wasn't into new age stuffs like her and would probably end up begging her to leave the shop as soon as possible. 

Buffy watched her friend practically bounced merrily to the store, her mouth still hung open. "Well, so much for a pep talk." She let out a brief forced laughter, feeling sorry to herself. Though she was kind of relieved that Willow didn't listen to her confession. Turning her heels around, she started walking, heading to Revello drive. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

As soon as she arrived at home, Buffy went upstairs, straight to her bedroom. The second she put her ass on her bed, the phone started buzzing. She looked down at the white wireless warily, hesitated to answer it. What if it was Spike on the line? She wasn't ready to have yet another talk. Much to her dismay, the phone wouldn't stop yapping, so she reluctantly picked it up. 

"Hello?" She greeted softly as she prayed for anyone but Spike on the other line. A relieved smile crept over her features when she heard Willow's voice through the receiver…but then stopped dead at her inquiry.

"Hey, did you say you and Spike kissed earlier?"

_to be continued_

(A/N: **handing the pitchfork back to MissKitty reluctantly** Here you go, MissKitty! Love ya too, sweet kit! ;) )


	22. Chapter 21: Some Quality Time

Author's Note: **gasps** Where's chap 21, you ask? Well, sorry to say this, kiddies but it's only up in www.spuffyfantasy.com since FF.net doesn't allow me to post NC-17 piece of writing. I know, I know many fictions actually post their NC-17 chaps here but I just don't want to risk it. So, if you're not 17 years or older, please don't go there, and wait for the next chappy to come out. Oh, who am I kidding, you probably go there anyway. My advice is, be smart, don't get caught by your parents/guardians when you read it! LOL

One last thing, SA review system was currently not working on my story and some others. Please be a sweetheart and leave a review here instead ;) Thank you all so much!!! =D

**Edited to add:** I'm really sorry for the missing link. You all must've gone, "Huh? What? Where the hell is the link?" LOL Apparently, stupid FF.net doesn't even let me post a link here GRRR….Thanks MissKitty for letting me know about it. =) Anyway, I'm currently in the process of building my own website for spuffy fics only. But it'd be done as soon as I finish all of my crappy assignments. ;)


	23. Chapter 22: A Bloody Revelation

(A/N: WOOHOO! I finally have an update! Sorry for the long wait. It's close to the end of semester and as you can guess, all of the assignments are due =( And my beta was sick in the past week. Hope you feel all better, Brianna. ;) Anyway, I know this is late…but Buffy has ended *sniffles*so I send cyber hugs to everyone who has watched the series finale. AND more spuffy lovin' to ease your broken heart over the end of BtVS. *grins proudly* 

Previously on Soulmate: This is for the readers who are still under age and didn't read chappy 21 *snorts* riighhht, like you wouldn't sneak in to read it in SA, you naughty readers you! LOL Anyway, long story short…*singing Paul Young's Love is in the Air* Sex is in the air…everywhere I look around…err, I mean LOVE, love is in the air. Yeah, that's right! That's what I mean. Buffy and Spike have finally found love…after having sex, that is. LMAO and here goes the morning after… ;) )****

**Chapter 22: A Bloody Revelation **

Buffy was humming a joyful song throughout her way to school. Never knew Monday could be her favourite day now. She smiled dreamily, a scrape of scarlet colored her ivory cheek as she replayed her encounter with Spike last night. She really needed to thank Willow for making her to talk to him and because of her, she had stated that Monday was definitely her favourite day of the week. 

She twisted and turned her padlock, applying her code by heart. She smiled again when she open the locker door and was greeted by four pictures on the inside of it. She traced each of them as she reminisced the time they were taken. 

From left, there was a picture of her and Spike taken a year ago, she was sitting on his lap, her arms clung to his neck as the side of her head leaned against his. Spike's arms snaked around her waist protectively, a happy smile plastered on both faces.

Next, it was a picture of Spike's 10th birthday party taken by Xander. Spike was in the middle, scrunching his face, and eyes closed tightly in front of a birthday cake with lit candles on while both Willow and Buffy kissed each cheek of his real hard, eyes closed as well. The room was slightly dark, illuminated only by the candles.

The next one was a picture of Spike and Buffy again. She was wrapping her arms around his shoulders, standing behind the bench where he was seated. Spike was in the middle of strumming his guitar, his head lowering a little as he looked up under his eyelashes and smirked at the camera. Buffy's eyes were gleaming, her face was so radiant reflecting her having a tremendous time with her friends. It was taken in their favourite beach, their regular spot to hang out.

Last, there was a picture of the four of them, Spike, Buffy, Xander and Willow, taken when they were around 12 years old. Their heads rested next to one another forming a small circle, each girl between boys with their hands linking together as if making a promise to be friends forever. 

Buffy smiled almost tearfully at the portraits. Each of them brought an amazing memory to her and she would cherish them until she got wrinkly and lost all of her teeth. She giggled at the thought of the four of them being old and still hanging out together. Yep, life couldn't be better than this. 

Willow was right again. She couldn't deny her feelings anymore. She loved him and she knew it wasn't only a sisterly love or love between friends. She was in love with him and not because after they had a wonderful sex last night – which was a plus by the way – but she could see the same affection in his eyes when he stared down at her after their coupling. It was pure passion and love and adoration. The sparks in his clear sapphire orbs melt her away and she was sure she could die in them. 

Her train of thought was interrupted, rudely, by two large hands grabbing her waist and swinging her around, then pushing her hard against the set of lockers. Her eyes widened for a second but soon fluttered closed as soft lips attacked her owns and demanded an entrance to her tongue. She moaned when she felt a solid body pressed against her, almost crushing her slender one. Her mind shut down, her thought concentrated only to the nurture of these lips and tongue against hers. She clung her arms around the intruder's neck, urging to deepen the kiss. 

Somehow the intruder felt the same need as her, as he pressed his body further against hers, preventing any small space between them and virtually moulding their forms into one. He eventually broke away to allow both of them to catch some breath, and finally registered the loud noises surrounding them. Male students especially jocks were whistling and shouting at their blunt action while some of the girls glared and shook their heads at it. 

The petite girl in front of him had open her eyes and looked around them, blushing furiously at the feedbacks for their little stunt. She then looked back at him under her hazy eyes, smiled widely as she tried to breathe normally. "Morning to you, too." She murmured her greet under her breath. 

Spike only chuckled. He smiled wickedly as he closed their distance once more. "Oh, that's not a morning greeting, luv. That's a payback for last night after you left me undone, you naughty girl." 

Buffy giggled like a 12 years old school girl, then feigned innocence while she responded, "Well, don't I get a morning greeting then? I believe I deserved it after you almost crushed my fragile form against these certainly uncomfortable lockers." 

"Oh, I'm sorry, baby. I thought you liked rough and tumble." He apologized in a mocking tone, closing in even more to claim her mouth. 

A sequence of impatient foot taps was echoed throughout the space as the school corridor started to get empty and quieten. Spike and Buffy groaned lowly and rolled their eyes before turning their heads to the small bald man with crossing arms over his chest. "May I remind you Mr. Giles and Miss. Summers, that this is an educational place, NOT recreational place as you wish." Principal Snyder gave a sinister smile to both students. The blond couple smiled tightly at the NAZI and nodded their response. 

"Yes, sir." They said in unison before scurried away from the evil principal as fast as they could. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Willow and Xander smiled warmly at the approaching couple. Their eyebrows rose identically when they set their eyes on the linking hands of the blond heads. Both knew Spike and Buffy loved to show their affection by wrapping arms around each other or clasping one's hand with another's, but never by linking them. The redhead nudged her boyfriend and wiggled her shapely brows at him as she pointed to the couple by tilting her head to their way. Xander leaned into her, whispering, "It's about damn time," making Willow to chuckle softly. Snickering, he sat straight and smiled again at Spike and Buffy who had twin grins stretched across their faces. 

"Hey guys!" Buffy piped up almost too perkily, causing Willow and Xander to wince at her shrill voice. 

Willow only smiled, then gave a pointed look at Spike as she said, "So, that rumour about you attacking Buffy's lips in the hall this morning was true then." Buffy's eyes widened at her comment, red hue tainted each cheek in a flash. Spike was rather embarrassed, ducking his head slightly and plopping his body on a cafeteria seat. 

"What can I say, red, those pouty lips were just begging to be nibbled on." Spike smirked slyly when Buffy smacked his chest playfully, the red tints on her cheeks spread broadly within seconds. 

"Whoa…wait a second, yesterday you two seemed to avoid each other and now you're a couple? Where was I when this happened?" Though he was happy for the blond couple, Xander couldn't help but frown at the current status of the couple that suddenly changed overnight.  

"I believe you were sneaking into my room during that time, sweetie." Willow answered him, batting her eyelashes innocently at the brunette. 

It was Buffy's turn to frown. "I thought your parents were always okay about you two. So why did he need to sneak into your room at all?" 

"Oh, they're totally okay about us. It's just our late night activity that they don't approve of." Willow wiggled her brows meaningfully at Buffy. The petite blonde's jaw hung open in incredulity. She couldn't believe that her sweet, sweet innocent best friend had turned into a naughty, dirty-minded young woman. 

"Xander, what have you done to my sweet innocent Willow? I don't know who this girl is anymore. S-She's like evil Willow…or something," The offended girl only rolled her eyes. 

But Xander somewhat thought for an answer seriously as he started to open his mouth, "Well, first of all, there's this thing I know she likes me to-"

"Okay, stop. I change my mind, I don't think I really want to know the…things you guys do," Buffy scrunched her nose and shuddered slightly. 

"You sure you don't wanna know, Buff? I can give you some graphic details if you like," Xander amazingly succeeded to hide his smile at Buffy's shocked expression. In the meantime, Willow and Spike had to purse their lips so tight from bursting into laughter as they glanced at the petite blond. Buffy was visibly traumatized at a pile of pictures of Willow and Xander doing wild things, which suddenly flashed into her mind. 

The school bell snapped her out of her stupor. She finally acknowledged the red faces of her friends from suppressing their mirth, but she was still too stunned to think of its cause. 

After gathering some self-control, Spike got up from his seat and neared his face to Buffy's. "I have to go, pet. I'll see you at the gym, okay?" Buffy only nodded and accepted his chaste kiss, apparently her mind still blinded by the feral visions of Willow and Xander. 

The brunette and bleached young men had walked through the exit door, having a fit of laughter at last, when Willow led Buffy by the arm to their next class. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"Buffy, wait!" Willow jogged towards her best friend; books were clutched against her chest and auburn tresses swayed languidly from side to side. Buffy watched the redhead approach her. Observing Willow's green blouse and black knee-length skirt, her mind open up to the mental pictures of Willow and Xander again as she visualized her friend wearing something less than her current clothing. Something more like mini black leather skirt and leather bra for the top. Buffy shuddered at the thought of Willow smiling wickedly, standing proudly with one knee-high leather boot leg on top of a crawling Xander while a long whip was hold firmly in her tiny hand. The blond head shook her head quickly as if to erase all the horrible visuals out of her mind. 'Geez, is this some kind of after sex thought?' Buffy was truly wigged out of this.

Willow's brows furrowed as she saw her friend shook her head briefly. "You okay, Buff?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah I am. W-What do you have next?" 

"I have a free period and I'm kinda bored, no homework or assignment at all." Willow's expression showed some disappointment. 

Buffy only chuckled. 'Now THIS is the Willow I know.' 

"So, since you're going to the gym now, I'm coming with you. Some salty goodness can really help refresh your eyes, y'know." The redhead grinned mischievously at Buffy's yet another surprised look. 

"Ever since you're dating Xander, I kinda fear you, Wills."

Willow only laughed as they strolled to the gymnasium.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"So where's Xander? Doesn't he always have the same free periods as you?" asked Buffy when they seated themselves on the upper row of bench, her eyes were searching for a certain bleached head as she waited for a response from Willow.

"He does, but he has swimming practice today." Willow's eyes were also wandering around to help Buffy in search. "There he is." She held a pointed finger to the centre of the gym floor once she caught a glimpse of Spike's form. 

Both girls smiled and waved at the shirtless Spike after he looked up to them and threw his trademark grin. Stepping towards a higher steel bar, he took a deep breath and wiggled his arms in relaxation before he gripped the bar and raised his body up about a foot from the ground. 

Buffy and Willow sighed in contentment at his sight. His abdominal muscles were rippling and stretching as he lifted his figure up and down. His arm muscles hardened, his knuckles were turning white and the paths of blood vessel were visibly seen on the back of his hands and on his forearms, as he weighed himself onto the bar. Beads of sweat started to plaster his forehead and some already flew down to his chest, glistening his hard abdomen in the process. 

The two girls drooled and swooned over the vision before their eyes. They nearly groaned in disappointment when Spike stopped his activity and went to talk to his coach. Their breath was though caught on the throat as the object of their drool-fest wiped his sweaty chest with a white towel while he listened intently to his coach's instruction. The motion seemed to be slow, Buffy and Willow found themselves inching forward to see in clearer view, their bodies were almost at the edge of their seats. 

"God, he's hot! Look at that body, it's so well muscled and sculpted and…" Buffy breathed heavily as she began rambling, never taking her eyes off of Spike. 

"I hear ya, sista! That is ONE damn sexy man." Willow responded in agreement, nodding promptly and also still fixing her eyes at the said sexy man. After a full minute, Buffy stepped out of her Spike trance, turned her head to face Willow with a frown. 

"Hey, that's my boyfriend you're ogling at!" Buffy smacked her in the arm and gave a sharp look. Willow jolted away in a brief moment, finally snapped herself back to reality. She laughed heartily at Buffy's pouting lips.

"Sorry, Buff. I kinda got carried away for the last five minutes." Buffy only snorted unladylike for a response.

"Pfft! More like a full twenty minutes."

 "Fine, twenty minutes it is then. Hey, if it makes you better, I'll let you ogle at my boyfriend for the same amount of time." Willow offered, smiling giddily. 

"Xander? Err, I think I'm gonna pass for that one. I just stick with Spike drool-fest for now." Willow immediately creased her brows into a frown and smacked Buffy in return.

"Hey, I'll have you know that Xander is a very drool-fest worthy." 

"I'm sure he is, Wills." Giving a truce sign, Buffy continued, "But like I said, I'm just gonna stick with this one for a while. And hey, that hurts!" She whacked Willow's shoulder with the back of her hand. Willow's eyes widened. Giving a mocking "Oh", she smacked Buffy back on the shoulder, causing the petite blond almost topple from her seat. Both did not acknowledge Spike's presence until they heard his deep and rich British accent. 

"You birds keep on bitch-slapping like that and I'm sure as hell, will have the time of my life." The topless bleached head smirked down to them, chest still heaving up and down from exercising and jogging towards the girls. Buffy and Willow froze on their activity, two pairs of eyes were busy gawking at the standing young man in front of them, as both brains screamed, 'Spike's body…body of Spike…'

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Buffy stuck her head inside her mother's office, ignoring to knock on the door first. "Hey, mum. What're you doing?" Joyce looked up from her paperwork and smiling sincerely at her only daughter. 

"The usual, reports for the newly arriving products." She then buried her concentration down again to the pile of papers she was holding. Buffy let herself in and stepped languidly towards her mother's desk. 

There were several paintings leaned against the front of the desk, one painting leaning against the one behind it and each of them was unwrapped. Buffy bent down to examine them. Her eyes then went slightly wide, followed by her mouth. "Wow…" She breathed as she traced lightly the first painting she saw. The older Summers glanced up from her paperwork again, smiling when she saw the amazed look on her daughter. 

"It's breathtaking, isn't it?" Buffy only nodded, too speechless to give her a response. Joyce lifted her reading glasses off and got up from her seat, rounding her desk as she continued speaking, "I had your look too when I saw it the first time." Still smiling, she bent down beside Buffy and studied it as well. 

The painting pictured a lake with some factories on the background. The colour blends were beautifully done and the water was painted as if it was made of glass. It had both smooth and rough textures mixing together to create a remarkable work of art, drawing Buffy deeper into it. The calm lake was almost real, Buffy felt if she touched it, her fingertip would be moistened by this painted water. 

"What's it called?" Buffy asked softly, her eyes never leaving the canvas. 

"It's called _Fabriques à Argenteuil_ created by Gustave Caillebotte. I actually had this imported straight from France."

"_Fabriques à Argenteuil_ …" Buffy repeated the name of the painting with a bad French pronunciation. Joyce paused for a long minute when she glanced at her only child. 

"Buffy," She began slowly, "I always knew you had a great passion in art." She paused again, waiting for Buffy to look at her. When the petite blond finally did, Joyce continued, "Well, my gallery is currently getting a little out of hand since we receive many orders lately. So, I was hoping if you could give me a hand in organizing the orders during weekends." Buffy stared at her mother still, blinking once or twice. "O-Of course you will get paid. It can be good for your résumé in the future." Joyce quickly added. 

Buffy blinked again before unexpectedly throwing her arms around her mother. "Of course I'd love to help. This means we can be around each other more." She squealed in excitement. 

There was a hint of sadness in Joyce's beautiful aging face when she heard the last sentence Buffy stated. She knew she was always occupied by her work and she thought Buffy would understand that. She never expected her to be this happy to accept her offer, just because her daughter wanted to spend more time with her. 

"This is like a work experience for me…b-but with pay right?" Buffy looked at her mother uncertainly as she loosened her embrace. The older woman chuckled slightly then ruffled the girl's golden locks. 

"Sure it is." The petite blond feigned a relieved sigh. 

"Phew! That's a relief." Joyce rolled her eyes at Buffy's comment. She held her daughter's hand as she stood up, bringing Buffy on her feet. 

"Oh, hey, what do you say we invite the Giles' to dinner Friday night? We haven't had that together for a while. Sounds good to you?" Buffy's eyes sparkled even more at the mention of the men who had been like a family to her ever since they moved to Sunnydale. Well, one of them just had a change of status since yesterday, but he still felt like a family to her.  

_'What is this? First mom asks me to help her in the gallery, and now she suggests us to have dinner with Spike and Giles the way we used to?'_ Buffy abruptly shook the thought off, afraid that it was only a dream if she kept wondering about it. 

"Oh hell yeah!" At Joyce's warning glare, the younger woman quickly revised her answer, "I-I mean definitely. I'm going to call Spike tonight and make sure he and Giles won't disappoint us." 

Buffy almost jogged towards the door, heading off to her room. Joyce chuckled again and shook her head lightly, then she went back to her abandoned papers and focused on them once again. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

She lifted the wireless up from its cradle and plopped herself onto the bed. After dialling the number she had memorized by heart, Buffy waited patiently for the person on the other line to pick the line up. A deep masculine British voice soon came through the speaker as its owner said his greeting, "'Ello?"

Buffy smiled when she heard the familiar voice. With a sultry tone, she responded, "Hey, baby. Wanna have dinner with me Friday night?" The person on the other line immediately grinned widely at the phone. 

"Is this some kind of a date?" 

"Well, you can say that if you don't mind our parents tagging along." Buffy chuckled at his groan.

"Is your mom gonna cook for us?" Spike knew it right away, remembering the times they used to have dinner together every weekend or so.

"Yep. So, Friday night at the usual time?" Spike smiled despite his disappointment over having a dinner date alone with Buffy.

"Yeah, we'll be there."

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*   

The bell rang once. Buffy quickly headed towards the front door as the expected guests waited patiently on the other side of the doorframe. She swung the door open and greeted them with the brightest smile plastered on her face. 

"Hey guys. Come on in. Mom's still in the kitchen getting the roast beef out of the oven. Just hope it's still as good as years ago." Buffy snickered, but rolled her eyes when she heard her mom respond behind her. 

"Oh please. Even though I haven't cooked for a while, I still have the talent, honey."

"Yee-ahhh…sure, mom…" Buffy threw a dramatic eyes rolling to the older Summers. She yelped at the smack Joyce gave her on the butt. The Giles men only stood there, raised their eyebrows at the display and shook their heads. 

"You Summers women never change." Giles noted, gave a soft chuckle. Joyce smiled at the older man as she approached him to give a peck on the cheek. 

"How are you doing, Rupert?" 

"I'm very well, thank you Joyce. And yourself?" 

"Not too bad. As you see, I'm still alive and surviving after dealing with Buffy for over 17 years." 

Buffy frowned at her mother's reply. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" 

Spike piped up to offer an answer, "It means that you're a pretty handful thing to have, luv."

"Oh, and you're not?" Giles turned to look at his son, giving him a pointed look.  
"Wha'? Of course I'm not." Spike replied defensively. 

"Alright, it's dinner time now. Save the argument later. Come on, my roast beef is waiting for us to be poked on." Joyce interfered, started dragging Giles and Spike to the dining room.

Buffy scrunched her nose as she followed her mother's steps. "Ewwww, what's that supposed to mean?"   

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

The dinner went perfectly well…in Giles and Joyce's point of view, since Buffy and Spike spent most of the time sticking their fingers into their ears as their parents kept on reliving their children's embarrassing moments.  

"Oh, and do you remember when William ran around our backyard in panic after he accidentally burned his hair for playing with fireworks?" Giles said between his mirth. 

Joyce gasped and widened her eyes, "Oh my goodness, I completely forgot about it. That was a funny one. I remembered Buffy cried over it because she thought William had ruined their fun." Joyce broke into hysterical laughter. 

Meanwhile, Buffy and Spike sunk deeper into their seats at the humiliation their parents created. 'Oh god, we so don't need to have this talk.' Buffy mutely grumbled. Deciding to ignore the adults' talk, she tried to find something remotely interesting. As she looked up to Spike across the table, her frown slowly grew into a wicked smile. She slowly slipped her foot from her sandal and brought it over to Spike's seat from under the table. Her bare foot began trailing Spike's ankle, moved upwards in a slow agonizing motion, then caressed and lingered to his leg for a while. 

Spike shot her a look when he felt the teasing touch Buffy gave him. He tried to suppress his groan but he couldn't help rolling his eyes back. He wiggled his leg, trying to get rid her foot off but it went back to his leg, trailing daringly upwards to his knee and brushed further to his thigh as far as it could. 

Buffy struggled over her giggles at his pained expression. It surely was excruciating and killing him. She sunk further into her chair as she tried to move her foot further inside his inner thigh. Spike could only gripped the edges of his seat desperately and tried to hold back his groan.

On the side of the table, Giles and Joyce had stopped their humiliating moments talk and moved on to work discussion.

"So William, how's school so far?" Joyce unexpectedly turned her head to the bleached teen.

"Uhh...I-It's fine" Spike cleared his throat when his voice came as a squeak. "It's fine." He stated again with a low voice, sulking down his seat. Buffy propped one elbow on the table and covered her mouth with her fist so that no one saw her broad-soon-to-be-laughter smile. She bit her lower lip while her foot rubbed harder and even further against his inner thigh.  

"Have you prepared yourself for the upcoming exams?" Joyce asked again, completely oblivious to his aggrieved expression. 

"Yeah, have started studying one or two subjects." He shrugged his shoulders casually but his hands still clutched his seat firmly. Taking a deep breath, his brain finally worked out a solution to end this tormenting position he currently was in. He brought one hand under the table, snatched her foot and held it securely. 

Buffy gasped, her eyes widening. She tried to jerk her foot off but his grasp was way too strong especially now that he brought his other hand to confirm its control over her foot. Joyce and Giles looked at her quizzically when they heard her gasp. 

"Are you okay, honey?" Her mother's voice filled with concern. Buffy only nodded meekly but then burst out laughing when she felt Spike tickled the pad of her foot mercilessly. She quickly covered her mouth up, her eyes still stretched wide open. Joyce and Giles were more baffled by her reaction, they never gave a glance at the widely grinning Spike. 

"I-I'm sorry. I-I'm okay. Really...I am," Buffy quickly stammered her apologize. She squeezed her eyes tightly and bit her lower lip again as to contain herself from squirming.

Both parents were not too convinced about it, but decided to ignore it and have another business chat. Buffy let a relieved sigh out. It didn't last long once Spike started to torment her again. She tried to shoot him a murderous look but couldn't as she struggled to restrain her laughter at the ticklish sensation in her foot. Wordlessly, she begged him to stop with her best wounded puppy eyes. Spike's grin only grew wider at her silent request while he shook his head 'no' at her.   

To Buffy's rescue, Joyce turned her head to look at the kids again, chiming in, "I think we can settle for dessert now."

Buffy was suddenly up in a flash, jerking her leg back harshly which caused a loud thud noise under the table in the process. "I'll get it." She held her whimper back and plastered a false enthusiastic smile. Without waiting for a respond, she started walking purposely towards the kitchen, dragged her leg with the sore knee forcefully. However her mother's voice slowed her pace. "Buffy, do you know which dessert I'm talking about?"

The petite blond answered over her shoulder. "Yeah I know. It's the apple pie in the oven, right?" At her mother's confirmation, she increased her pace again. 

That left Joyce and Giles turn to look at the amused Spike. He immediately dropped his smiling mask off and stood up. "Uhh...I better help 'er out." Gesturing the kitchen way, he too strolled towards the kitchen. Giles only shook his head at the teens' weird manners while he took his glasses off and cleaned them with his handkerchief. 

Joyce stared at the doorway for a moment. There were some stolen glances and secret smiles during dinner, which were somehow strange since…well, why would they do that anyway? They were never like that in front of their parents. Then there was Spike's suppressed pained expression, which Joyce bet that they thought she didn't see it. As well as Buffy's sudden outburst to laugh that was stopped abruptly by Buffy herself. After a few minutes, she broke into a smile as she realized what was going on between her daughter and her surrogate son. Her face though soon crumpled into a frown when the truth hit her. _No, it's not safe anymore for them to have a slumber party_. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Buffy winced as she rubbed her knee, cursing under her breath at the fresh red mark planted on her skin "Ugh, that bastard…" 

"Need any help, pet?" Spike entered the kitchen casually while he tried to hide his smile. Buffy glared at him and swatted his chest hard as soon as he was within a foot distance.  

"We almost got caught, you know that?!?" 

"Wha'?!? You're the one who started it." He defended himself, rubbing his now sore chest. Xander was right. For such a petite girl like her, she really did have a great power in her. 

Buffy wanted to stay mad at him but the smile he now gave her, melt her anger away. So she did what she could do best, jutting her lower lip out, pouting. 

"Aww, look at those pouty lips…damn, you know I'm a sucker for that." Spike winked at her, bringing his face to hers for a kiss. Buffy smiled as she stretched her neck up to meet him half way.

When their lips were close to meet, Joyce walked into the kitchen. The young couple instinctively backed away from each other, started looking at anywhere else and busying themselves. The older Summers only smiled warmly at both teens. Turning her head to her daughter, she asked her with a calm voice, "How's the dessert going? Is it ready yet?" 

Buffy quickly jumped from her stool. Ignoring the pain on her knee, she circled the island and moved towards the oven to take a round baking dish from it. Joyce stalked around the island as well and grabbed a knife as she shooed her only child. 

"Move over, let me do it. You'll take forever cutting for only four slices." Buffy rolled her eyes though she couldn't deny the fact. So she complied and gave the task to her mother. Buffy and Spike watched the older woman putting a reasonable slice of apple pie on each small plate, occasionally threw a glance at each other. Both started fidgeting when Joyce had not yet finished her task. Spike shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and rocked on his heels back and forth while Buffy twirled her fingers around a lock of her golden hair. 

Joyce had to use all of her power to hide her smile at those two young adults. She placed the filled plates carefully on a tray, taking her time as much as possible. As soon as she put the last plate and started to lift the tray up, she noticed her daughter jump from the stool at the same time as Spike stopped rocking his body and stood straight as well.  

She flashed both blonds another warm smile as she made her way out of the kitchen with the tray in her hands. Just before she reached the doorframe, Joyce suddenly stopped and glanced over her shoulder to the petite blond. "Oh, um Buffy, don't you think you're too old to have a sleepover at William's now?" 

With that, she left the two frowned teens alone. As far as they remembered Joyce never complained about their sleepover routine, so what had given her such ideas? It wasn't long when they realized what she meant by _being too old to have a sleepover_. The blond couple looked at each other, eyes widened and mouths agape. After a long silence, Buffy finally broke the silence off. "Do you think she knows about us?"

_to be continued_

(A/N: I wanted to show you guys the painting but the damn FF.net won't let me post the link. GRRRR…Anyway, *composes herself and smiled sweetly* Review, please?)


	24. Chapter 23: Surprises, Surprises

**Chapter 23: Surprises, Surprises**

The two girls giggled at each other's jokes while they approached their boyfriends on a bench, hands carrying cans of soda. Willow handed one can to Xander and Buffy did the same to Spike. 

"Thanks, luv."  The bleached young man winked and accepted the soda from Buffy after he carefully placed his guitar on the wooden table he was sitting on. Taking a sip from his can, he remembered something he wanted to show his girlfriend. 

"Oh, I've something to show you…" He put his soda down and retrieved his guitar. Buffy's face lit up, taking an interest as she seated herself next to him. Setting his instrument to the right tune, he looked up to her. "…Or sing to you, actually…" His voice was soft as he glanced at the other couple, feeling slightly embarrassed at the romantic side of him, which made him like a poof. He started strumming his guitar and began humming, his eyes never left Buffy's ones.

_In, I'm fallin' in_

_Didn't want to_

_Not so fast, boy_

_Slow                   _

_Don't want to hurt the girl_

Give her a little pretty box You better fill it 

Buffy's lips slightly parted in awe at the acoustic song that just started playing. His voice vibrated through her entire body and she shuddered in a delicious way. His eyes bored into hers while a genuine smile crept over his features, melting her heart away. 

_And I get blinded when she opens the door_

_It's like looking into the sun, you know_

_And I'm just blinkin', mumblin', starin' at my shoes_

_And she just looks at me_

_And smiles_

_Smiles_

Smiles 

Her face instinctively broke into a smile, doing exactly what the song described her.  

_So, there we go again_

_It feels so good_

_To fall up and down_

_Damn, It's 2 am again_

_She kisses me goodbye_

_For the sixteenth time _

_And I'm driving home, it's 5 am_

_And I look at the sun come up over the hills_

_And the clouds are turning pink and green_

_And all I can see is her eyes_

_Eyes_

_Eyes_

_Eyes _

Buffy's orbs sparkled as unshed tears began to fill her eyes. She bit her lower lip that almost trembled with euphoria.

_I get blinded when she opens the door_

_It's like looking into the sun, you know_

_And I'm just blinkin', mumblin', starin' at my shoes_

_She just looks at me_

_And smiles_

_Smiles_

Smiles 

Buffy remained still as the song ended and Spike lay the guitar down. Without warnings, she leaped into his arms, joyful tears flew down her cheeks freely. Spike almost fell back when the petite blond shifted her weight on his lap. His features couldn't hide his surprise as well as delight at Buffy's reaction. She leaned her head back to look at him, a wide grin had spread over her face. 

"Thank you. That was really sweet of you. I love it." She sniffled as Spike brought his thumbs to wipe both of her cheeks. 

"Glad you like it, pet…B-But it didn't make me a nancy boy, did it?" His masculinity sank down a little at the word 'sweet'. Buffy chuckled as she sniffled again and shook her head lightly. 

"No, it didn't. It was amazing and _very_ manly."

"Yeah, man. It was great." Xander finally piped up, patting his best friend's back good-naturedly. 

"Thanks, Xan." Spike nodded and smiled at the brunette. 

"Awwww, can we exchange boyfriends, Buffy?" Willow chimed in, sniffling a bit with her face contorted in 'awww'.

Buffy immediately clung onto Spike tighter as she pressed her chest further against his and rested her head on his shoulder. "No way! He's all mine and mine only." Spike chuckled at her possessiveness, feeling his male pride swell while he wrapped his arms around her in return. "Besides, isn't Xander enough for you?" Buffy asked.     

Willow whined, her lower lip jutting out, forming a pout. "Yea but he won't do any sweet things like that to me." 

"Uhh, hello?!? Offended boyfriend sitting right here…" Xander instantly spoke up and raised his hand, affronted. Willow turned her head to face the brunette and smiled sweetly. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, baby. Did I just say that aloud?" Xander simply threw his girlfriend a mocking glare.

"So how was your first day in the gallery, luv?" Spike changed the subject, looking down to the petite girl in his arms. 

"Oh, I love it. I never knew my mom actually had a fun work." Buffy drew her form away as she told everyone enthusiastically. "The new paintings that just arrived were amazing. They're all beautiful and…" She paused at the puzzled looks Willow and Xander gave her. "…And I forgot to tell you guys that I worked in my mom's gallery now." She finished her sentence with a sheepish smile. Spike smiled in amusement at her excited tone.

"Oh, you work for your mom now? That's really great, Buffy." Willow joined her friend's excitement. Xander also uttered a similar comment to Buffy. 

"Thanks, guys."

"Hmm…speaking of your mom, didn't you tell me that she knew about you and Spike?" Willow spoke again.

Buffy snorted. "Yeah, she must've figured that out when we fooled around under the table that Friday night." At the other couple's quirked brows, she quickly added, "I-I mean when we…um, when my foot was in Spike's thigh a-and his face twisted in a…Spike, help me out here, please?" Buffy looked at her boyfriend in a plea. 

"Help you what, pet?" Spike tried to hide his amusement and Buffy shot him a stern look. "Oh, you mean that Friday night when we _fooled_ _around_. Yeah, you see, Buffy decided to give me some sneaky pleasure while our parents had a serious conversation." The petite blond smacked his chest while she still straddled on his lap. 

"Not helping much, Spikey." She retorted. Willow and Xander stared at them back and forth, enjoying their banter.   

"Okay, so you guys fool around, then what?" The redhead butted in.  

"Well, after Giles and Spike went home, I was confronted by my mom BIG time." Buffy widened her eyes to emphasize the word 'big'. "She interrogated me, asking when the two of us became involved and you know what the ridiculous thing she did? She gave me a Summers' no-no list." 

"The Summers' what list?" Willow tilted her head, a confused look set on her features.

"No-no list. It's like a set of rules that I can't do ever since she found out about my relationship with Spike. More like the Ten Commandments. You shall not sleep at William's place any longer…" Buffy rolled her eyes as she remembered her mother handing her a piece of paper full of rules with a sweet motherly smile. 

"Wow. Your mom is really strict about it, huh?" 

"_Very_." She laid her head back on the crook of Spike's neck. Sighing, she mumbled, "I bet she even knows that we had sex too."

"Wait, you guys had sex already?" Xander chipped in. Buffy widened her eyes when she realized she just said her thought out loud. She open and closed her mouth to find an explanation, then looked up to Spike who had a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look. "You guys just date for seven days and you have already had sex? Damn, you're fast." Xander shook his head in astonishment. 

"Uhh, should I be flattered or insulted?" Buffy asked, feeling embarrassed and insecure. Spike only chuckled, a rumble in his chest.

"Actually, that was how they started dating, Xan." Willow offered to answer her boyfriend's question. Once again, Xander looked bewildered at the new discovery.      

"You never told me."

"You told Willow everything?" The two young men widened their eyes and spoke at the same time. Xander accused Spike while the bleached head inquired Buffy. 

The petite blond open and close her mouth again, finding no response escape. 

"You know girls always do that, Spike." She finally had a reply and gave him a nervous laugh, all the while sending a glare furtively at Willow. The redhead mouthed 'sorry' and smiled sheepishly. 

"Well, it's better than having NOT to know about anything, SPIKE." Xander spat the other man's name with a hint of sarcasm, feeling irritated when his male best friend hid something from him. 

Spike turned his head to the brunette, suddenly felt a pang of guilt. "Oh, uhh…sorry, Xan. I didn't mean to hide it from you, been busy lately." 

Xander rolled his eyes dramatically, "Yeah, I bet you have." Spike shot him a glare. The other young man's face softened as he finally let the matter go. "Sorry, man, didn't mean to be snappy. Anyway, Willow and I have to go visit her aunt in hospital. I'll see you guys tomorrow at school." 

"Yeah, we better go as well." Spike decidedly thought. Buffy tilted her head back to look up to him.

"We do? But I still want to see the waves." She whined. 

Spike smirked suggestively, leaning into her ear as he said in a low voice, "But I wanna show you something better." He took a nip at her earlobe, earning a moan from the petite girl.

"Oh you guys, get a room." Xander groused while Willow giggled. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

(**WARNING: **This part below until end is** NC-17**!! I'm too lazy to delete it *shrugs* So you know what to do, **don't** read it if you are not of legal age!)

"Oh come on. Can I open my eyes now? Please?" Buffy pleaded, her hands held Spike's arm tightly as her eyes were still closed. 

"Just hang on for a bit, pet. You'll open your pretty hazel eyes as I tell you so." Buffy pouted but a smile soon crept over her features at the word 'pretty'. She stepped down the staircase cautiously when Spike told her so; her hands squeezed his arm tighter, too afraid to fall over the flight of steps. 

As the blonde couple reached the bottom of the staircase, Spike waited a beat before he spoke, "Now, you can open your eyes." Buffy fluttered her eyelids open, she then blinked once or twice, trying to adjust the light surrounding the room. Her breath caught in her throat at the display in front of her. 

There, right in the middle of the room, stood a four-posts bed with a white canopy hung loosely above it. A red silky sheet covered the mattress neatly as two fluffy pillows with the same coloured satin cases were laid just in front of the headboard that was made of metal bars bent into an artistic shape. The bed looked very inviting; Buffy almost jumped onto it and drank in the feel of the soft and silky fabric touching her skin. She finally tore her eyes from the tempting mattress and looked around the room.  

Twin nightstands were placed on each side of the bed while a small wardrobe was located on the left wall, a medium size oval mirror hung next to it. Buffy looked up to the staircase, wondering where she was at the moment. Turning her head to Spike, she caught his gaze that had fixed on her as she wholly took in her surrounding. "Where are we?" 

"Well, do you like it?" Spike tilted his head to the side, a twinge of nervousness suddenly clouded his features. 

"I do." Buffy breathed her response and nodded. She smiled widely as she stared at the bed again. "It looks…" Looking up to him under her eyelashes and smiling suggestively, she continued, "…alluring."   

Spike chuckled softly, finally let out his breath he had been holding on. "So, where are we, Spike?" Buffy repeated her question.

"We're under my garage. It used to be a storeroom but since my da' moved all the stuff to the basement, so I got myself a private spot 'ere. I call this place…my crypt." Buffy snorted, raising her delicate brows.  

"Your crypt?" 

"Hey, what's wrong with that? It sounds impressive and…eerie" 

"Eerie? Fluffy pillows and silky sheets make this room eerie?" Buffy was amused. Spike wasn't. His face looked crestfallen at her tease. The petite blond felt a pang of guilt stab her when she watched his features changed into glumness. She reached out to him, linking her hands with his. 

"Aww, I'm sorry, sweetie. You know I'm just teasing ya. This place looks great, I like the name. Hey, what about your room? Are you gonna make it your own store room?" Spike gave her a smile, already forgotten his dejection.  

"No. It'll always be my room." He stepped closer towards her, snaking his arms around her waist. "I was thinking that this was going to be _our_ private room." He winked. Bending down, he nuzzled on her neck, taking in the scent of her vanilla soap that still lingered around her slender body. Buffy closed her eyes, moaning in pleasure as her arms wrapped his shoulders. 

"Hmmm…I like that…so much…" 

"You like what, luv? This room being ours or my mouth sucking on your neck?" Spike murmured between his kisses. 

"Both if you don't mind."

"No, I don't mind at all."

"Well then…" Buffy abruptly pulled her body away from Spike, leaving him a brief moment of shock. She grinned slyly as she stepped backwards to the bed, her eyes fixed on his. Reaching the edge of the bed, she sat elegantly, her fingertips brushing over the smooth cover. "…In that case, shall we give it a proper hello?" Spike broke into a wide grin and stalked towards her. 

"Why, of course. Been intending to do that since I brought you 'ere." Buffy gasped in shock, smacking his chest once he sat next to her. 

"You invited me here only for having sex?" 

"No! O-Of course not. I-I mean not if you don't want to…" Spike stuttered when he saw her incredulous look thrown directly to him. A smile slowly graced Buffy's face and it was a mischievous one, rather. She poked a finger on his chest, stroking lightly up and down. 

"Oh, I don't know…the bed looks inviting, but then again, it's always you that tempts me more." At that, Spike's ears perked up, his face brightened. 

"Well, as a matter of fact, I have something in mind that may tempt you even more." After giving her peck on the lips, he flew upstairs, disappearing from the room much to Buffy's dismay. 

Fortunately, the bleached young man quickly returned with a bottle of honey in one hand. Buffy frowned at that. Pointing a finger on it and quirking her brows, she asked, "_That_ tempts me more than you do?" Spike chuckled.

"I'm really flattered that I tempt you so much, luv. But this bottle of honey will make you see it in a different light." 

"Ooohhh…is that right?" Spike only nodded as he claimed her mouth again, arms had wrapped her body, bringing it closer to his own. A gasp escaped the petite blonde's mouth when she felt her body being lifted up and dropped onto Spike's lap. 

Their tongues massaged each other languidly, taking their time to taste each other's flavour. Spike's hands roamed under Buffy's black cardigan but she withdrew from him, moving away from his lap. Once again, Spike searched her explanation inside her eyes. The hazel orbs that stared into his, showed lust and desire as Buffy began unbuttoning her top, revealing a sheer floral camisole. Spike's eyes travelled from hers down to her chest and farther to her abdomen. Her chest heaved up and down as she waited for him to make the next move. 

He captured her mouth again, hands roved her body starting from her waist, caressing and brushing the soft skin with his thumbs as her camisole was lifted up. He raised a scarred brow when he noticed her braless. Laying her down, he worked on her jeans, then on his own clothes with the help of Buffy. Spike was still kissing her while his hand searched for the neglected bottle of honey. He licked his way down to her jaw line, resting on her neck to give the column a harmless bite. 

Buffy moaned at the feel of his blunt teeth against her flesh. She wrapped her legs around him as well as her arms around his shoulders. But he caught her arms, lifting them over her head. Smirking suggestively, he leaned into her ear. "Hold on to the headboard for me, pet. I promise I'll make it worthwhile."  The low voice of his almost resembled a purr, sending shivers to her spine. Buffy only nodded and did as she was told, gripping one of the metal bars and readying herself for whatever Spike had in mind. "Good girl." Spike smiled in satisfaction, he then slid down slowly until his face met two small mounds. He looked up to her before twisting the cap of bottle and squeezing the content out. The yellow liquid dropped slowly onto one of her nipples. Spike moved the bottle about, creating honey spiral on her breast. He bent down and flicked her rosy bud with the tip of his tongue.

"Oh, god…" Buffy whimpered at the slightest touch he gave her. She arched her upper body up, offering more to him. She threw her hands to be buried in his hair but Spike caught them and planted them on the bar again. 

"Nuh-uh…no touching, sweetheart. Lemme do the work here." Buffy groaned, rolling her eyes but obeyed him anyway. Still with the tip of his tongue only, he began licking the sweet liquid, patiently tracking the honeyed line until he reached the outer line of her breast. One of his hands had trailed down to her body, approaching the feminine area. 

"Uhnn…" The petite girl beneath him grunted when she felt a thumb brush against her clit and a finger dip into her heat, stroking ever so slowly. She arched up again, offering all of her to this man that had taken her breath away…literally. "Spike, please…" Her lower lip quivered as her hands clutched the bar tighter, so tight that her knuckles turned white. 

"Shh…patient, luv" He added another finger inside her and increased the pace while his mouth still worked on her mound. He caught her nipple between his teeth and flicked it with the tip of his tongue back and forth, at the same time as his two fingers thrust in and out of her core. Buffy slid down to meet every thrust, moaning loudly when his long fingers hit her sensitive area. "God, I love it when you're so wet for me." Spike murmured against her lips before kissing her hungrily. He loved every little moan she made for him, every whimper she did, knowing that he caused them all. A piercing moan escaped as her inner walls clenched around his fingers, climax washed over her. 

Spike broke their kiss, both panting heavily. Under his clouded eyes, he looked down to the untouched bosom. He licked his lower lip and looked up to her again. "I believe we still have another one to work on." He unplugged his fingers from her, causing the petite blond to whimper at the lost of his touch. Bringing the glistening fingers up, Spike wiped them around her untouched mound. He hardened at the flesh that was polished with her juice and the smell of her arousal hitting his nostrils. "This'll taste even better." Squeezing the bottle, he applied the honey onto her lustrous breast and repeated his previous ministration. The sweet taste of honey mixed with the exotic one of her latex drove him wild. 

Buffy mewled, thrashing about her pillow while her hands still strongly gripped the headboard. She could feel her juices start flowing down her centre again and she panted more harshly. "Please, baby…please…" Buffy pleaded. 

He ignored her plea. Focusing on his task, he continued sucking and licking her breast, savouring the striking taste inside his mouth. 

_God, he's torturing me. Time to take over this game. _With a swift move, she flipped them over, Spike's back hitting the bed. She smirked wickedly at his surprised look. "This time, _I_ do the work." Buffy glided down his body, kissing every flesh she found on the way to his crotch. She grabbed the bottle and dropped a good amount of thick fluid on his throbbing cock. Giving a test drive, she licked the tip, earning a groan from the young man. She leaned down again, tapping the tip of her tongue on his honeyed shaft, occasionally giving long sweeps from the base to the peak. 

"Fuck, Buffy…feels so good…" Spike was about to reach her hair when she seized his wrists. Shaking her head, she lifted them to the headboard. 

"Hey, there's no touching in this game, remember?" Spike chuckled. He nodded understandingly and complied. Buffy was back to her ministration. She enveloped the pulsating length with her hot mouth slowly and fully, while her tiny hands gave a light squeeze on each ball. A louder groan was heard and Buffy increased her pace, moving up and down, and grasping his balls tighter. 

"Buffy, I-…oh, fuck!" Spike grunted sharply as milky seeds shot into her throat. Buffy accepted them eagerly, licking the remnant on his cock with satisfaction. Just after he came down from his climax, the petite blond strangled his lap, guiding his shaft into her opening as she slid down. 

"Yes…" She sighed in contentment as their bodies finally joined together. Throwing her head back, she began rocking against him, hands planted on his chest to support her. Spike's hands cupped the globes of her ass, giving a squeeze every time he felt her inner muscles tighten his cock.

"Bloody 'ell…baby, slow down…" He bellowed, not wanting to explode so soon. 

"Shh…s'okay, honey. I got you…" Buffy placed a slender finger on his lips. Spike decided to divert his focus on her finger as he kissed and suckled on it. Understanding what he was doing, she drove her finger in and out of his mouth while she continued riding him. The pace was increased and small waves of orgasm began firing through their bodies. One thrust, two thrusts, three thrusts…followed by double screams, they spasm uncontrollably, holding onto each other. 

Buffy collapsed on top of him, still panting heavily all the while listening to Spike's rapid heartbeat. "Wow…that was…"

"Yeah…" Both couldn't form any words to describe their coupling. She finally rolled on her back, her head rested on his chest. Spike stared at the ceiling as his hand unconsciously stroked Buffy's tresses. He suddenly froze, something had hit him…really hard. He sat abruptly, causing Buffy to rise as well. 

"Oh, fuck! Buffy, we forgot the protection." Spike looked at her in horror. Buffy's alarmed façade softened as she sighed calmly. He frowned at her composed self and cocked his head to the side.

"It's okay, Spike I'm on the pill. Now, can we go back to bed? I'm sleepy." She stifled her yawn with the back of her hand. 

"You sure?" Spike eyed her with hesitation. Buffy only nodded, eyes partly closed from tiredness. He reluctantly lay back again; he peeled the cover and coated both of their bodies as they snuggled into each other. A deep slumber soon took over them. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Buffy's eyes flustered open. She blinked once or twice. _'Where am I?'_  She wondered. Feeling a warm body next to her, she glanced down to the owner. Oh, right. She was in Spike's bed, in Spike's _crypt_. She giggled softly at the name. Her eyes then wandered around the space. She stopped when she set them on the clock on the nightstand. 

_4.38 P.M._

"Oh shit, I'm late!" Buffy shrieked, practically jumping from the bed. Spike, who was still in deep sleep, was startled by her outburst.   
"Wha'? What is it?" 

"I'm fuckin' late, that's what!" She hissed as she searched around for her clothes and quickly put them on as soon as they were found. "I'm supposed to work at four today, Spike and now I'm _really_ late." Spike rolled his eyes, ruffling his already dishevelled locks. 

"Relax, pet. It's your mom you work for. She'll understand." Buffy swung around and looked at him in disbelief.

"Understand? What, she'll understand that I'm late because I was too busy having sex with you?" He sighed.   
"No, what I mean is-"

"Oh just shut up, Spike. Talking to you just wastes my time." She had already fled by the time Spike leapt from the bed.

"Buffy!" He shouted but to no avail. His jaw clenched tightly, hurt stung his eyes at her last words.         

_to be continued_

(A/N: Eep! Sorry for the late update again. It's exam weeks now and I forced myself to finish this before I concentrated on my study. So, forgive me if it seems a little...forced. LOL Just in case if you don't know the song I used, it's called 'Smile', written by our James Marsters himself for his girlfriend back then. ;) Another thing, FF.net has screwed up badly lately that it deleted some of my reviews. I swear, I didn't delete them! Why would I do that to all those wonderful reviews you guys gave me, anyway *winks*)


	25. Chapter 24: Forgive and Forget

(A/N: Sorry for taking forever to update this fic. I've had author's blocks and decided to write new fics that I've been wanting to do for months. Don't worry, I'm not going to neglect this one. In fact, the next chap will be coming shortly if you review me *snickers*)

**Chapter 24: Forgive and Forget**

Both blonds froze on their feet as they stared at each other, one eyeing the other. What'd she say, what'd she say? She should say something, right? As soon as she ran off from his house yesterday, she realized that her words might hurt him. _Might, Buffy? After he brought you the most amazing sex not to mention lil' naughty, you thought that your words just 'might' hurt him?_ Her mind scolded.

Buffy still stared at him, she shifted from one foot to another. The silence that fell into the space became deafening. Spike sighed in exasperation. He shoved his hands into his duster pockets and walked towards her…passing her. 

"Wait," Buffy impulsively grabbed his arm by the time it brushed against her own arm. He simply looked down to her hand, then to her eyes. _Say it, Buffy! You know you should._ She opened her mouth slightly. 

All Spike wanted to hear from her was two words, or one certain word even. Better yet, she should have talked to him about why she reacted that way last afternoon. 

"I'm sorry." Buffy said softly. _There, she said it. That wasn't so bad, was it?_ She pursed her lips together as she looked down to her feet. Spike's features softened instantly. He wanted to demand some explanation but the look on her face was enough to say that she had really meant what she just said. His hand reached a strand of hair that hid her beautiful features from him and tucked it behind her ear. He leaned down and kissed her forehead tenderly. 

"Forgiven, luv." Buffy closed her eyes, sighing softly in relief at his mumble. She looked up to him and smiled genuinely.

"Thanks." As she looped her arm around his, they started walking down the school hall, her head rested on his shoulder. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"Tell me again why I chose this class?" Buffy grimaced at the poor animals that were about to be dissected. Spike turned his head to her, a wicked grin plastered on his face.

"Because you can't be far away from me and because you can't keep your hands away from my hot tight little body." He answered in a husky tone as he leaned forward to capture her lips. Miss Brown's voice immediately interrupted him. 

"Mr. Giles, this is still a lesson time. So if you could just put the lecherous side of yours aside until the class finishes, please." She said in a flat tone. Buffy blushed furiously as everyone giggled. Spike only nodded his response but couldn't help being embarrassed. 

"So, what do we have to do again?" She asked, trying to concentrate on the lab task. 

"Well, we need to dissect this lil' frog _right_ in the middle." Spike replied. He lifted a knife, ready to do some operation. Buffy crinkled her nose disgustedly.   
  


"Okay, first of all, eww!...Second of all, yikes!..." She shook her arms on her sides to express her repugnance and that she did not want to touch the displayed creature on the lab bench. "...Third of all, gah!" Spike dropped the knife on the table and raised his eyebrows up to his hairline. 

"And your point is...?"

"Oh, that's just me expressing my disgust. Carry on." She shrugged indifferently. Spike stared at her in amusement. Yep! This was his girl! A beautiful, sassy, caring, smart, witty and funny person, all wrapped into one petite blond girl. He just wished he realized that sooner. Breaking his gaze off, he slapped his hands together and rubbed them against each other. 

"Right. Now let slice and dice this bloody animal 'ere, shall we?" He grinned from ear to ear. Buffy rolled her eyes. 

"You're really loving this, ain'tcha?" Spike gave her a seductive smirk. 

"Well, what can I say, I've always been baaaadddd, baby." He bent his head again to claim her mouth. Another interruption arose. 

"Again, Mr. Giles. Please put your lecherous side away. We still have twenty minutes left." Everyone burst out laughing while Buffy once again ducked her head and flushed feverishly. Spike hung his head down as well, holding one hand on the back of his head.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"Wanna go to my place after school?" Spike asked, leaning against the locker next to Buffy's. The girl in front of him was busy putting books inside her bag. She looked at him, suppressing her amused smile.

"You mean your _crypt_?" 

"You enjoy making fun of me, don't you?" He frowned, throwing her a look.

"It _is_ fun. I mean, where the hell did you get the idea for that name?" Buffy burst out laughing, her face was almost red as she was trying hard to keep a straight face. The bleached young man growled, then caught her by the waist. She yelped but soon shut herself up when his tongue slid in her mouth, exploring the taste of her. As they broke away, Spike looked down to her, a suggestive smile crept over his handsome features. 

"So?" Buffy sighed and smiled apologetically. 

"I can't. I'm working in gallery today."

"But aren't you working on weekend?" A frown was back on his façade. He was visibly not thrilled with her working in weekdays. It was bad enough that she worked during weekend and that they couldn't get together except during school days. 

"Yeah, apparently the orders keep coming and coming and my mom needs to go out of town for few days. Hence, it's after school working days for Buffy until weekend." Spike tried to hide his disapprove. 

"What about Cecily? She's still working there, right? Why couldn't she handle the orders?"  
  


"Well, she's working in the morning until afternoon. She used to work until closing time but her doctor doesn't allow her to work for long hours due to her pregnancy." Buffy closed her locker door and zipped her bag. Giving another apologetic smile, she leaned up to him and gave a quick kiss. "Sorry, baby. I promise I'll make it up to you some time next week, kay?" 

Spike heaved a sigh. Closing his eyes briefly, he nodded weakly. "Sure. Whenever it fits." She smiled before she turned her heels around and exited the school building. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Spike entered the bronze wearily. The club wasn't crowded and he was grateful for that. He wasn't in the mood of pushing himself through masses of people and wasn't thrilled to wait forever to get himself a drink either. Finding an empty two-seated couch, he slumped his body onto it and guzzled from his bottle. 

"Hey." A chirping voice addressed him. He sighed, clearly not looking forward to meet new people. Looking up to the person in front of him, he squinted his eyes as he began to recognize her. He tilted his head, his mouth open and was about to speak but she interrupted him. "Hey, I remember you." She pointed one finger to him, her eyes twinkled and her lips curved into a smile. Spike raised an eyebrow, then taking a gulp on his drink while the girl continued, "I remember you approached me all manly with your innuendo and I was thinking of how big your penis was." He almost spat his beer out but quickly forced it to go down to his throat, causing him to choke. 

"Excuse me?" He asked while trying to abate his cough. The girl shrugged indifferently as she plopped herself next to him. 

"Oh you know, when a guy walks towards you with all that pride, he must be proud of his penis." Spike only managed to quirk one eyebrow. His cough subsided but the shock on his face hadn't.

"Uh...I suppose you're right, luv. You're…Anya, right?" He scrutinized her as he tried to change the subject. 

Her eyes lit up and she broke into a wide smile. "Yes, I am." She paused shortly before continued in a peeping voice. "So, are we going to have sex and have lots of orgasms soon?" Spike almost dropped his bottle. 

Deciding it was best to put his drink away for now, he answered her with a chuckle, "Not bloody likely, pet." Anya didn't bother to hide her disappointment as she jutted her lower lip out. 

"Why not? Is that because of my hair?" She patted her darkened hair, checking it out. Spike didn't answer her immediately. His eyes focused on her pouty lips, which instantly reminded him of Buffy. How he'd been missing her, missing being with her and talking to her. 

Breaking out from his reverie, he replied, "No, no. The hair is absolutely perfect and I'm not saying you're not attractive, luv. But I have a girlfriend." Anya stood up immediately, her frown was replaced with anger. 

"What?!? Do you think this is like a pep talk to you? Like a best friend chat?" She yelled, gesturing him and her back and forth. He flashed her a lopsided smile, looking at her guiltily. 

"Uhh...no. I mean, yeah maybe. I'm sorry, I just really need someone to talk to tonight." He sulked, leaning back against the couch. He did need to have a best friend chat, especially with Buffy. He had been trying to call her or talk to her, but she was rarely available. And Xander? Well, let's just say, he'd been busy with Willow these days, especially after her beloved auntie recently died and he needed to be there to comfort her. 

Anya gave a dramatic sigh, rolling her eyes as she took his pathetic look in with pity. She slumped back into the couch. "Alright, I guess I could have someone to talk to as well. But if you change your mind about the sex, I still wouldn't mind." 

Spike looked up to her with a grateful smile and chuckled again, "Thanks for informing, pet."

_to be continued_.


	26. Chapter 25: New Friends

**Chapter 25: New Friends**

Two weeks. It'd been two weeks that Spike hadn't been out with her, hadn't been having their own private time. She had once promised him to make the lost time up as soon as her after-school work ended. But it never happened. Her work in gallery had been ruling her and their relationship and Spike wasn't elated about it. Though she did apologize about it, he still wished that they could spend more time together. God, he missed her. He missed her companionship, missed watching Passions with her, missed how she always found a way to mock his beloved soap opera. 

And now this. She had just called him to let him know that she's going to New York with her mother for a conference tonight. He had argued with her, saying how it was not a part of her job. And she'd explained that it was important to her so that she knew the way her mother worked and that her mother needed her as her assistant. Spike understood that she'd love to spend more time with her mother, but he needed her too, dammit! Best friend!Spike would probably not mind and try to understand if she's busy, but boyfriend!Spike demanded more attention from her. He knew he sounded selfish, but damn, he missed her so badly. 

He sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose with two digits. Grabbing his wireless, he dialled a familiar number and waited for it to be answered. 

"Hey, Xan. Wanna play some pool tonight?" He said as soon as he heard the brunette's voice on the other end of the line.

"Well…" Xander began ruefully. Spike closed his eyes, instantly knowing his answer. "I'm about to see a movie with Willow. But hey, if you wanna come, then please…join us! So I won't be the only one who suffers from a chick flick." The brunette gave a short laughter. Spike chuckled humourlessly. 

"No thanks, man. The movie is yours and Red's alone. I'll…see what I can do to spend my Friday night." He could feel the apologetic smile Xander offered him. 

"Still no Buffy time for you?" Spike shook his head, not caring that his friend couldn't see him. "Hey, why don't you have father and son time with Giles?" Xander said, pleased with his suggestion. Spike snorted. 

"Right. And where would we go? Ancient Books R Us?" Laughter was heard from the other line. "Anyway, just go and have fun! Red's waiting for you." With a short goodbye, Spike ended the conversation.  

He tapped his finger on the wireless, his eyes stared blankly at the wall. A minute passed as he tried to decide whether he should make another call or not. Digging into his jeans pocket, he switched the phone on then punched a series digit of number while looking back and forth between the wireless and a scrape of paper in his hand. 

He waited anxiously as he tapped one foot. A perky voice finally came through the receiver. "Anya? It's me, Spike. Wanna go out tonight? Great! I'll see in half an hour at the bronze. Bye." He tossed the phone carelessly on the bed. A smile passed over his features. _Finally_, he had something to do tonight. With that thought, he strode to the bathroom and got ready. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

His eyes wandered around the whole club, searching for a certain brunette. Anya spotted him first and waved at him, a long blond haired girl was sitting next to her. Spike approached the girls with his trademark smirk on his face. 

"Hey! Hope you don't mind I bring my friend over. This is Tara." Anya gestured to the girl next to her. 

"Pleasure to meet you." He said, giving the blond head a wink. Tara instantly ducked her head, pink tint started spreading her ivory cheeks. 

"I-It's nice to meet you too. Y-You're Spike, right?" She replied in stutter.

"That I am." Spike was still smiling and Tara ducked her head again. 

"She's just shy meeting new people. But you should see her in bed. I mean, wow! Talk about wild!" Anya commented, giving him an impressed look. The bleached head widened his eyes, shock clearly evident in them as he dropped his jaw to the floor. He hadn't gotten used to the way Anya spoke and probably never would, even though he had befriended her for two weeks. 

"Anya!" Tara shot her a dirty look but the brunette ignored her. 

"Oh, by the way, she's a bi. I don't usually do a girl-on-girl action but I've had threesome with her and a guy. There's this one time when we were with a college guy, he was quite cute but boy, he was the worst I've ever had! Good thing Tara was there to give me a mind-blowing orgasm and- ow! Why are you pinching me?" Anya glared at her friend as she rubbed her reddening thigh. 

"Will you learn to stop babbling? And thanks for giving him a good impression on me." Tara threw her a glare back, her face was red like flame. The brunette only scowled, mumbling incoherently to herself. 

Spike had yet picked his jaw up when he heard Anya's babbling. He thought his jaw would forever hit the floor if he continued listening to whatever came out of Anya's mouth. 

"I-I'm sorry. W-What's Anya said wasn't entirely true." Tara said in embarrassment. 

"Yes, it was! You know I never-" At the narrowing eyes of her friend, Anya rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'm shutting up now." Sulking in her stool, she let Tara take over the conversation. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"A-Anya told me that you have a girlfriend. I-Is she around?" Spike took his time to swig his beer. He didn't feel like bringing Buffy up but he didn't want to make Tara uncomfortable by avoiding the question. 

"No. She's out of town, busy playing an assistant of her mother." He flashed her a sad smile. Tara smiled back in sympathy. 

"Ooh, are you trying to cheat on her? Because if you are, I'll be happy to be your other girl." Anya offered with verve. Spike chuckled, shaking his head at the amazement that was she. 

"Thanks for the offer, Ahn. But no. Been cheated myself and would never do that to her in million years." He mumbled the last sentence against the mouth of his bottle. He took a large gulp as memories of Drusilla flashed across his mind. They were horrible but they no longer hurt him. He smiled to himself as he remembered the time Buffy attacked the raven girl on account to defend him. 

"What are you smiling at? Oh my god, you're thinking of having a threesome with me and your girl, aren't you? Me too!" 

"Huh? What?" Spike snapped out of his reverie. Realizing what she just said, he widened his eyes though he couldn't stop a vision of Anya, Buffy and him in bed together came across his mind. "No…no, I'm not. I was just remembering some funny story. I can tell you later, but first of all, you can stop acting like a puppy with a bone anytime now." Anya drew her brows in a frown.

"What does that get to do with you?" Spike rolled his eyes. 

"It's my bone, for Pete's sake!" The brunette open and closed her mouth, then settling for a pout when she found no answer escape. 

Ignoring her friend, Tara spoke up, "S-So, w-what was your funny story y-you were talking about?"

_to be continued._


	27. Chapter 26: Unwind

(A/N: Very sorry that it's been delayed for months. RL has been really crazy.)

**Chapter 26: Unwind**

"Knock, knock!" Spike leaned against the doorframe casually and threw a sexy smirk Buffy's way. She looked up and smiled back, putting a halt on her writing.

"Hey, you. How did you know I was back already?" 

"Well, if you haven't noticed I left messages twice a day, and apparently the last time I called, your mom answered it before she went out of town again." He stalked toward her desk as he glanced around the room that was originally Joyce's office. 

"Oh." Buffy was silent for a while, recalling the amusing messages that Spike left for her. 

Thank goodness that her mother didn't check the messages before she did. She secretly replaced the cassette with a new one and thought of keeping Spike's messages for some _useful_ purpose later on. She had giggled, and was touched and aroused by them…except the last one where he was somewhere with thumping noises surrounding him. She assumed he must be at the Bronze. Buffy had smiled to herself that Spike was leaving a message while he was out with friends, which she presumed were Xander and Willow. But once she heard the female voice shouting his name, her ears perked up and she immediately replayed the message. That female voice…she was sure it wasn't Willow's. It was a stranger's voice. A female stranger's voice that she did not recognize; however, the owner obviously knew Spike. She was going to call and confront him but her mother had dragged her to the gallery to finish up some necessary work before Joyce flew to New York again. 

"Who was that girl?" Buffy asked as she watched Spike randomly look through the stack of papers on her desk. His fingers were still tangled in between the papers when he looked up at her.

"Huh?"

"Who was that girl? The girl who…um…called you when you left me a message." She tried her best to ask as nonchalant as possible.

Spike drew his brows together in a frown, trying to remember the person she was talking about. "Oh. That was Anya. Remember the girl I talked to once when Dingoes Ate My Baby performed at the Bronze?" 

It was Buffy's turn to frown. The name did ring a bell. She started to recollect the time when she had been worriedly searching for him, since he hadn't returned from having a smoke outside the club. She remembered she'd been scowling over the interaction between Spike and a blond girl. And during that time, she had been fighting with her emotions, trying to control her jealousy. 

_Jealousy? What jealousy?_ Buffy denied to herself. "Yeah, I think I remember that." She said, shrugging as if the incident wasn't that big of a deal that she only remembered it vaguely. 

Spike stared at her skeptically. A smile danced on his lips as he studied her reaction. "You're jealous." He stated, his smile broadening at the thought of how adorable she was trying to act as coolly as possible.

"I am not!" She gasped, widening her eyes. _Was it that obvious?_

"Yes, you are. Look at you, trying to act like it was nothing." He said, clearly amused.

"Well, it _was_ nothing." She paused, then cast an unsure gaze in his direction. "Right?" 

Spike shrugged his shoulders, leaning back in his chair across from her. "She did offer me sex though…"

"What?!?" Buffy yelled, appalled. She couldn't help the high-pitched tone in her voice but damn! She only went to New York for two days and her boyfriend had been seduced by other girl? 

He chuckled at her reaction. "See? You're jealous." 

"At this point, I don't think jealous is the word I prefer to use. More like appalled. How the hell did you meet her again? A-and what is she anyway, a hooker?" 

"Hey! She's nothing of that sort." Spike frowned at her response, clearly not liking her impression of his new friend. "Okay, maybe she is a little too upfront but she's nice. You'll like her." 

Buffy scoffed. "Sure, when are you going to introduce us? Oh, let me guess, will it be when she tries to get in your pants again?" Spike rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Buffy, we're just friends. If you don't believe it, ask Tara." At the unfamiliar name he mentioned, she narrowed her eyes into slits, glaring at him as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"And I know this girl because…?" She asked sarcastically.

"Oh, um, Tara is Anya's friend." 

Buffy scoffed again. "Great! Ask her best friend if she's humping my boyfriend." 

Spike growled in irritation as he stood up abruptly from his seat. "Jesus, Buffy! Don't you think you're overreacting a bit over this? You told me you were going to New York right before left for the airport. You promised you'd spend time with me but it never happened. And for your information, Xander was busy with Willow. So I'm sorry if I made new friends while you were gone."  

Buffy was stunned by his explosion. She hadn't expected him to be quite so upset about her promise that she had been unable to keep. "I…I'm sorry. I didn't realize that I-" She stopped, then started again. "I-It's just that gallery work has been overwhelming me, and spending time with my mom again has been a blast. I'm, I'm sorry." She pursed her lips together, regretting every single word she had used to accuse him earlier. 

Spike met her gaze and found the genuine apology behind her hazel orbs. He sighed heavily. "Well, I missed you." 

She smiled as she stood up and approached him. "I missed you, too." She said before leaning up and kissing him. The kiss was languid. Wanting to taste each other thoroughly, their tongues probed and massaged each other with passion that had been buried while they were apart. 

Their foreheads touched as they broke their kiss. Spike closed his eyes, a lazy smile crossed over his features. "Wanna get away from work for a while?" He suggested, leaning back to look her in the eye. 

Buffy sighed, withdrawing from him. "Can't. Still have zillion things to do." 

He immediately rolled his eyes heavenward and shook his head. "I thought your mother wanted you to prioritize your education and youth. Why so much work?" She only shrugged as she seated herself on the desk. 

"Maybe she realizes how much I'm loving this job?" Buffy offered. Spike smiled tightly. He too, knew how much this job meant to her. He was happy for her, really. Seeing her beam every time she told him about her so-called job adventure almost made their lost time together pay off. Well, almost.

Standing right in front of her, he stared at her and sighed audibly. "Yeah, I get that." He shoved his hands into his duster pockets before continuing, "I guess I can find some way to spend the afternoon. Call Anya or Tara, maybe. Or _both_." He emphasized the last word as he scratched his chin and looked away from her. 

A frown passed over Buffy's face but he didn't see it. She kept quiet until he was about to make his way out from the office. Grabbing his arm, she halted his move. "No, don't. I-I mean stay here." Spike arched one eyebrow at her request; his smile was hidden carefully. Buffy glanced at her desk, then back to him. "I think…I could use a break or two." She smiled tightly, trying hard to bottle up her jealousy.

"Are you sure? Cause I don't want you to be distracted. I could just go away and come back once you've finished—" 

"No. It's okay." She assured him quickly. "Getting distracted is okay in my book." Buffy looked him up and down and grinned wickedly. "Especially by you." 

He smirked. "Yeah?" 

"Uh-huh." She nodded, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning up to kiss him. She moaned as Spike thrust his tongue into her mouth and massaged hers with his. Closing their distance, his hand wormed its way under her skirt. 

Buffy pulled away, panting harshly. "Wait! Maybe we shouldn't do this here." 

"We should. It can't wait." Spike murmured against her lips, already unbuttoning her blouse. She conceded when his hand began kneading her breasts. 

_Oh, what the hell._ She swept the papers away before she lay down above the desk, bringing Spike down with her. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"Honey, can you go down to basement and check if all the items for Mr. Travers are there? The courier is going to pick them up today." Joyce said as she thumbed through the list of orders. Finding the one she searched for, she shoved the list and pointed the certain order. "There should be two large boxes, each of them containing 15 statues so that means there should be 30 altogether."

"Gee, mom. I never thought I'd need help with multiplication. Thanks for coming to my rescue." Joyce gave a mocking glare before smiling at her daughter. 

"Just go down there and check, okay?" She shooed her with a wave of hand. Shaking her head, she went back to her paper. 

Buffy rubbed her eyes as she made a beeline to the basement. She hadn't had much sleep lately. Work had been taking most of her time after school; in addition to the schoolwork she had everyday. But she wasn't complaining. She loved her job and how she bonded with her mother over it. No, she wouldn't complain about it. 

But her body disagreed with her heart. All her muscles were aching, drained. Fatigue lines drew across her face yet she didn't take note of it, or maybe refused to. She opened the basement door and looked down the list as she walked in. She shook her head, her eyes were blurry. Glancing at the first step of the staircase, she now felt lightheaded, her head started to spin. She tried to close her eyes for brief seconds but they wouldn't flutter back open when she tried to force them to. 

The first step down was taken and she stretched her arm to reach for the bar to hold onto. Her legs became wobbly, she tried to open her eyes again but her eyelids felt like they weighed several pounds. 

She relented at last as she closed her eyes fully, her body rolling down the staircase, knocking her unconscious. 

Joyce went after her fifteen minutes later, wondering what was taking Buffy so long to check on just two packages.  Her silent question was answered immediately once she entered the basement and looked down to the bottom of the stairs. "Oh my god, Buffy!" She cried.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"Bloody hell!" Spike winced when his guitar string cut through his thumb. 

"You okay, man?" Xander turned his head to him, frowning. His friend was strumming his guitar smoothly before the note went off without reason. 

" Yeah, guess so." Spike examined his thumb, then sucked on it to prevent further bleeding. 

The brunette studied him for a minute before asked him again. "Something wrong? You look, I don't know…distracted." 

"What? Oh. I just-" He paused for a while, trying to explain exactly what was bothering him. "I don't know; I just feel something's wrong, is all. I just…don't know exactly what it is." He put his guitar away and made his way to the kitchen, Xander was close behind. 

"Huh. Wait, I saw this situation once. Or maybe I read it somewhere. Yes, that's right!" Xander beamed, wagging both of his index fingers at him. "It's from one of Willow's new age books. If a person can feel what the other feels, it means they have a special deep connection. You know, like soulmates." He chuckled. "Of course, I don't really believe in those kinds of things." 

Spike pondered his words as he nursed his thumb with a bandage. He looked back at his friend and smiled tightly. "I'm gonna go to the gallery. See if Buffy wants to join us at the beach later." 

"Alright. I need to pick up Willow too. I'll see you there."

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Spike was making his way to Joyce's office when he spotted Cecily behind her desk. Drawing his brows in a frown, he approached her. "I thought you were taking a week off, what with the baby on its way soon." 

Cecily tapped the stack of papers, making them even as she said, "I am but Joyce called me earlier to work for the rest of the day after Buffy fainted this afternoon." 

He frowned. "What? Where is—" 

"—in the office." She cut him off with a slight nod toward Joyce's office with her head. Spike immediately stalked to it, worry etching his features. He didn't bother to knock, didn't even bother to acknowledge Joyce as he rushed toward Buffy and kneeled beside her while she lay on the couch with one arm across her forehead. 

"I'll leave you two alone." Joyce announced with a sympathetic smile. It was then that Spike realized Buffy wasn't alone. He smiled gratefully before Joyce turned around and closed the door behind her. 

"Buffy, you okay? What happened?" He placed one hand first on her forehead, then her cheeks, finally resting it on her neck. The other hand stroked her arm soothingly. 

"I'm okay. Just passed out, is all. I didn't have anything for breakfast so I felt kinda woozy earlier. But I'm fine now, really." Looking at him, she knew he didn't believe her. She sighed. "I am fine, Spike." She tried to convince him again. 

"Buffy, you're working too hard. Look at you. You work everyday, even weekends. You're still in high school, Buffy. Hell, you're not even close to graduating. It's still months away."

"But I love my job. It's something I can do that doesn't require straight A's on my report card. I'm not a genius like you, Spike. Besides, I have a lot of free time. Why not use it for doing something useful, like helping my mother." Spike was hurt. He lowered his gaze before looking back at her. 

"So it's better spending time working than being with me then?" She sighed, knowing she shouldn't have said what she did about having free time.   

"I didn't mean it like that. Of course I love to spend time with you. But please try to understand. I feel like I can bond with my mother again now that I'm working for her." He looked into her eyes. He knew he would eventually give in to her pleas. And most of all, he knew how she had missed having bonding time with her mother. 

Spike sighed, conceding. "Right. Sorry, I was out of line." Her lips curled into a smile and he smiled back, lacing his fingers with hers.  

Buffy gazed down to their joining hands. It was then that she noticed his bandaged thumb. She frowned. "What happened to your thumb?" 

"Oh, I—" He paused as he remembered what Xander said. He chuckled and shook his head. "It was nothing. Nothing serious." Turning his head to Joyce's desk, he grinned slyly. "So, has your mom found out about our rampant sexcapades on her desk?" A crimson blush coloured her cheeks and she swatted his chest hard. 

_to be continued._


	28. Chapter 27: Happy Birthday, Baby!

(A/N: Wow! I never thought that people still remembered this lil' fic. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reviewing. And I'm currently kicking my ass to work on the updates harder. Thanks again for your patience.)

**Chapter 27: Happy Birthday, Baby!**

Buffy checked the bag again, making sure the blue string bound the gift-wrapped box perfectly and intersected right in the middle. She smiled to herself, imagining Spike grinning giddily like a kid and grabbing her for a passionate kiss. If they were lucky, they could have a birthday sex. 

She cursed under her breath. _Damn! I forgot the candles._ If Giles wasn't home, she was planning on setting the scene for romance at Spike's '_crypt'._ She sighed, hoping that he might have some candles at his place. 

She tiptoed down the staircase, hoping to find a sleeping young man, preferably naked on the bed. On the other hand, she also hoped that he wouldn't be there so that she could turn the place into a seductive setting. She stopped being cautious when two girls came into view, checking things out around the room. Romantic set-up was instantly forgotten. 

"Who are you people?" She asked indignantly. She was ready to kick them out. No one was supposed to be allowed to come there except her and Spike. Not even Giles. 

The girls spun around at her voice. One of them immediately approached her, right hand stretching out as she introduced herself cheerily. "I'm Anya Christina Emmanuella Jenkins, born on the 4th of July. I love having s—" 

"Anya, I don't think you need to give her that much detail." The other girl cut her friend off with a nervous laugh. "Hi, I'm Tara. Tara MacClay." Buffy could only stand there and shake their hands back. 

"Hey, you must be Buffy, Spike's girlfriend. Did you know that it's his birthday today?" Anya said. 

Buffy pursed her lips, offended by her question. "Of course I did. I'm his girlfriend, remember?" She replied, throwing the brunette girl a sharp look.  

"So are you coming to celebrate it with us? We're bronzing tonight." Just before Buffy could answer, Spike walked down the room and came into halt when he found the girls there, shock passed over his features.  

"Oh, hello ladies. Wha—What are you birds doing here?" 

Anya flung her arms around him without warnings and kissed his cheek. Tara was close behind her. "Happy birthday, big boy!" Anya playfully punched him on the shoulder. Spike gave a tight smile and thanked her before accepting Tara's hug and kiss on the cheek. 

He could feel Buffy's eyes followed intently his and the girls' actions. Catching her gaze, Spike became more uncomfortable as he saw Buffy become red at the displayed scene. "Hey, Buffy." He greeted her quietly. 

"Hey, I just wanted to come here to see you and give this present. Happy birthday, Spike!" She forced a smile as she walked toward him; kissed him chastely on the lips before shoving the present toward his hands. "I better go, I still have work at the gallery." She jogged up out of the room, cursed herself for wanting to run so he couldn't catch up with her. And he didn't. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"I'm sorry, Buffy. This isn't working out anymore. We both know that."

"W-What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking 'bout." The apologetic smile on his face turned into a sly grin as he pulled a girl close to his body. "I have someone I'd rather be with." The brunette girl smiled sinisterly at her before leaning up to him and kissing him passionately.

Buffy refused to believe her eyes as she watched them kiss, moan against each other's lips and completely ignore her as if she wasn't even there. She wanted to close her eyes, blocking the view from her mind and pretend that this wasn't happening. _No, this can't be happening. And it won't. It's just—_

She snapped her eyes open to the darkness. _It's just a dream._ She took a deep breath, couldn't be more relieved to wake up at the ungodly hour. The dream was disconcerting. She admitted she was still indignant about the ruined plans she had for Spike and especially because she was too angry to join him and the girls to celebrate his birthday. But she never expected she would drag her anger with her into sleep and turn her worries into a nightmare. 

Sitting up, she reached for the table lamp and switched it on. She almost shrieked when she spotted a figure sitting on the windowsill, but soon covered her mouth after she recognized who it was. "Spike, what are you doing here?" She asked in a harsh whisper, hands clutching on the bed sheet to cover her chest. 

"I'm sorry about this afternoon. I didn't know they were planning to celebrate my birthday tonight." He said quietly. Buffy's features softened. She could see his sincerity on his tone.

"It's okay." He returned her smile. Tilting his head, he observed her current state, his smile turned into a leer. 

"Are you naked under there?" Buffy laughed.

"Just come here, will ya? Stay with me for the night." She patted the bed, urging him to come closer. Nodding curtly, Spike complied and stalked toward her, stripping off his clothes and shoes on the way. He slipped under the comforter and cradled the panty-clad girl next to him. 

Buffy snuggled closer against him, forehead resting against his. "Happy birthday, baby." She gave him a brief kiss. 

"Thank you for the present. I really love it." Spike said, smiling genuinely. 

"It's the best I can do." She kissed him again. This time, it was deeper, more passionate, more desperate. Buffy rolled onto her back as Spike started kissing her neck and down to her chest. Her hand reached out for the drawer of her nightstand. Spike glanced up, raised an eyebrow when she pulled out a square packet from the drawer.

"You're keeping condoms there now, eh?" She giggled.

"Not usually. But I had a feeling that I'd be needing them tonight." Smiling devilishly, she cupped his cheeks, brought his face toward her and kissed him deeply. This was what she had wanted to give him as his birthday celebration. A night with him alone, passionate kisses to share, even without the romantic setting and candles. 

Spike dropped kisses on her neck and made his way down to the length of her body. He caught one string of her panties between his teeth and dragged it down, one hand helping to pull the panties down to her thighs. 

Buffy bit her bottom lip to restrain her moans, knowing that her mother was asleep on the other end of the hallway. She arched her body as it responded to the way Spike gave attention to it. It was difficult not to let out one tiny cry. Buffy grabbed a pillow and pushed it against her face, allowing her scream muffled through the soft cushion as she reached her climax. 

She gasped for air as she came down. Spike reached for the packet, tore it open and put the condom around his shaft. He kissed her thoroughly as he positioned himself and thrust into her. 

"Can't make noises. Mom is asleep." Buffy whispered, shuddering when she felt him inside her again. 

He chuckled and gave a smug smile. "Not a problem, luv. Don't know about you though." Buffy wanted to roll her eyes if only she didn't have to squeeze them shut when he pushed into her more powerfully. 

"Spike…" She whimpered.

"Shh…don't wanna make noises, do we?" He murmured, raining kisses on her face. 

God, he was killing her. Every time she began to relax, he thrust into her harder; causing her gasp and become wide-eyed, fearing that her mother would hear her moans. She bit her lip, almost drawing blood. Her arms wrapped his shoulders tightly as their bodies moved in rhythm.  

Spike dropped his head next to her neck. He kissed her neck and sucked on it tenderly, his teeth scraping her skin. He sucked harder, muffling his grunt when she bit his shoulder, her body spasming beneath him. Needing to find his own release, he quickened his pace until it came.

Spike rolled on his back before he crushed her body. With arms around each other, they drifted off to sleep. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Buffy examined her neck in front of a full-length mirror. Bright red mark adorned her fair skin. This was going to be hard to explain to her mom. Covering with make-up apparently didn't do the trick. She sighed as she wrapped a scarf around her neck. 

_Note to self: get self nice tan._

After checking her clock briefly, she glanced at the person sleeping on her bed. She hated to wake him up this early, but she didn't want her mother find him naked in her room either. 

"Spike…" She shook him gently. He stirred slightly, mumbling incoherently. Buffy shook him again. She smiled when he opened one eye. "You have to go. Mom will barge in here any second." 

He groaned. "Let her. I don't care." Buffy rolled her eyes.

"I do. Besides, I have to work soon." Spike groaned again, spreading his arms as he stretched out. 

"Do you have to?"

"Yes. Now come on. Get dressed already!" She threw his clothes at him. Watching him reluctantly put on his clothes, she smiled coyly and said, "Maybe you can come over to the gallery when mom's away." 

"When is that?" A smile was forming on his lips. 

"At one. She won't be back until six."

"I'll be there." With a wink and brief kiss, he made his way out of the open window. 

_to be continued._


	29. Chapter 28: When Insecurity Becomes an I...

**Chapter 28: When Insecurity Becomes an Issue**

Anya turned to the right, then to the left, drawing her brows together as she scrutinized her reflection. She was too deep in her thought that she didn't hear Spike entering the room. 

"Ahn, what are you doing?" Anya only glanced at him over the mirror, then continued examining her body as she brought her hands to cup her breasts. 

"I wanna get breast implant. I don't think they're big enough for my body size. Do you think they're big enough for me?" Spike gulped, jaws almost dropped to the floor as his mouth kept opening and closing. 

"Uhh…Well, uh…they're normal size for you…I guess…" He said in discomfort. 

She pondered his answer as she turned back to the mirror, still cupping her breasts in her hands. "But I wanna have big breasts like Tara, you know. All soft and milky… inviting you to come to them and caress them, and lick them…" A dreamy look on her face, she pushed her breasts up. 

Spike was wide-eyed. He swallowed hard at the imagery Anya had provided him. He open his mouth again but nothing escaped him. His voice cracked when he finally found it and stepped out of his stupor. "Right…I think I should let you do…whatever you're doing right now. I'll—be upstairs when you're ready." 

Just before Spike could escape, the phone rang shrilly. Deciding to ignore Anya, he went to pick it up. "Hello?"  

"Hey, what are you doing today?" A smile tugged at his lips. 

"Well, I'm—"

"Come on, Spike! We're gonna be late!" Anya yelled. 

"Yeah, I'm coming! I'm sorry, luv. I have to go now. Call you later?"

"Oh, o-okay." 

"Great!" Spike hung up as soon as he heard her response. Grabbing his jacket, he jogged up out of the _'crypt'_, smiling sheepishly when he saw Anya tapping her foot impatiently outside. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Today went by very slowly, and Buffy was grateful that she was finally home. Closed the bathroom door, she stripped off her clothes and tested the water before she sunk into the tub. She laid back, her eyes closed as warm water washed her tired body. 

"God, been looking forward to this." She murmured, hand began scrubbing her chest and arm with a sponge. 

A knock came through, followed by her mother's voice. "Buffy! A call for you." She groaned. _Can't a girl be alone for a while?_

"Come in, mom!" Joyce open the door, smiling as she handed the wireless.

"It's Spike." 

Saying her thanks, Buffy waited until her mother closed the door behind her.

"Hey you. What's up?"

"Your mum said you took a bath. How's the cleansing going?" She laughed, splashed some water when she tossed the sponge next to her feet. 

"You're calling me just to ask me that?" 

"Well, yeah. Help me out with the imagination here. Which part are you touching now?" 

She snorted. "Perv! I ain't gonna tell you nothing." A smile touched her lips.

"Oh, come on. Are you touching your breasts? Or is it your c—"

"I'm hanging up now!" Buffy cut him off, crimson blush covering her face. Warm water felt hotter. Rich laughter was heard from the other end of the line.

"Wait, wait! Don't hang up! I was just gonna ask you if you feel like going out tonight." 

Buffy smiled to herself. She knew she was tired, but she thought spending a few hours outside tonight wouldn't be so bad. Besides, she was actually looking forward to go out with him this afternoon, if only it wasn't for Spike having another plan…with his new friends. She didn't understand why she still felt strongly against them. She was jealous, she admitted that. _But geez, get over it, Buffy!_ Her mind scolded her.

"Well…" She paused when she heard a female calling him. 

"Hold on a sec!" Pursing her lips together, she waited for Spike to talk to the girl and finally be alone again. 

"I'm sorry, pet. Anya forgot her book. You were saying…?" 

She swapped the phone to the other ear. "Um, sorry, I'm really worn out today. I think I'm going to bed straight after this." 

"Oh. Well, alright then." Disappointment masked his voice. "Guess I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Yeah, sure." Switched the phone off and placed it on the floor, she sank her body deeper. 

Why was she doing this? She went jealous all over again, just as soon as she heard Anya's voice. Spike had stated that Anya was his friend, but she couldn't shake the feeling that it was more than that, judging by the way they acted around each other. But then again, she might be wrong. Their manners reminded her of hers and Spike's used to be before they took a further level of their relationship. She remembered how they used to be mistaken as an on and off couple. They didn't care what people thought of them at that time, as long as they both knew that nothing happened between them. They showed their affection to each other as they pleased. They could hug or snuggle and would roll their eyes when someone insisted that they'd make a great couple. 

Yet it was their behaviour that finally brought them together. Buffy closed her eyes, head leaning on her hand while her elbow propped on the edge of the tub. She wasn't sure what she was afraid of. Maybe she was fearing that what had happened to her and Spike would happen to Anya and him. That their friendship would take another step. And where would she be when this happened? Would they still remain friends like they used to when it's all over?

She jumped when she heard a bang on the door. "Buffy, you okay? You've been inside for hours." Joyce asked behind the closed door, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm okay, mom! Be ready in a minute!" Running her hand on her head, Buffy pushed her thoughts away. She spared a glance on the wireless as she stepped out of the tub and wrapped her body with towel. She wanted to talk to him, but she didn't have the energy to discuss anything tonight. Right now, she just wanted to hit the bed and save her thoughts for tomorrow. 

_to be continued._


	30. Chapter 29: It Would Never be Enough

(A/N: The update is finally here ::hides behind desk::)

**Chapter 29: It Would Never Be Enough **

Buffy hated rain. Her hair went all limply, her new shoes got muck, and her makeup would've been ruined entirely if it wasn't for the waterproof mascara and eyeliner she was wearing. She was never the kind of person who carried around an umbrella if there was a chance it would rain. But then again, she didn't expect it to be raining today when she walked out of the gallery.

_Ugh! Why didn't I call Spike to pick me up instead?_ Buffy tried to cover her hair with her small purse even though she knew it wouldn't help much. Almost jogging, she treaded across the street and headed to the Espresso Pump.

Buffy tidied her hair a bit, tucking a strand behind her ear as she entered the café. Her eyes wandered around the room in search of familiar people. Spotting her friends, she waved and offered a smile. It seemed like the Espresso Pump was pretty packed today. So packed that Willow, Xander and Spike had to share a table with strangers.

Buffy came to a halt and a frown marred her face. _Wait a minute! Those are not strangers. Those are—_ She squinted her eyes at them. _Oh, great! Those girls again! Does he really have to bring them?_ Buffy scowled more as Anya started to ruffle Spike's hair, teasing him endlessly about his slicked back hair. Spike feigned a glower at the brunette, trying to pry her hand away. God, this was just a great additional to Buffy's bad day, watching her boyfriend laughing together with another girl. _I'll show you whom he belongs to!_ With determination, she made her way to their table.

"Oh! Hey, Buffy!" Willow perked up when she saw Buffy.

"Hey, guys! Sorry, I'm late." Buffy smiled as she gave a long sided glance at Spike's friends.

"S'okay. Ooh! Have you met Anya and Tara?"

"Yeah, I have." She forced another smile. _Unfortunately._ Anya and Tara smiled back at her. "Hi, baby!" Buffy gave a seductive smile to Spike before kissing him deeply. A throat clearing finally broke them apart. Buffy feigned an innocent look at Willow and Xander while Spike smirked. "What?" She chose to sit on his lap even though there was an empty stool.

"So anyway, this guy said that his band was playing next week and that I should come and check them out. He even gave me his recorded demo!" Anya continued excitedly, as if not to acknowledge Buffy's presence.

"That's great, luv! Does his band have a name?" Spike pulled Buffy's hand away from playing with the end of his hair. His gaze was fixed on Anya, interested in the story she was telling, so he didn't catch the frown Buffy threw him.

"I think it's called Venice, Vanished, Vanquish…or maybe it's Venus. Or Penis!" Everyone chuckled at that except Buffy. Great! This was just what she needed on this gloomy, rainy day.

* * *

The conversation continued all around Buffy, and most of the time, she remained silent. She almost felt she didn't belong there. She tried to get Spike's attention with a caress on the nape of his neck, a kiss on his head, and a rub on his shoulder. None of them worked. She even yanked a lock of his hair on purpose. When he yelped and asked her irritatingly about it, she simply said that her bracelet got caught in his hair accidentally.

_That's it!_ Buffy had enough of it. Spike didn't show her any interest, and Willow and Xander didn't pay much attention to her either. For some reason she felt like she was being betrayed by her friends. She wished she was still at the gallery, working instead.

Buffy slipped from Spike's lap and grabbed her purse off the table. "I have to go." She said with restrained anger. She finally got everyone's attention.

"Why? Where are you going?" Willow asked at the same time as Spike did.

"Work. You know, the usual." She forced an apologetic smile. But she wasn't sorry. She wanted _them_ to apologize to her.

"But you've only been here an hour."

_Oh that is more than enough, believe me._ "I know. I'll see you guys later." Buffy didn't spare Spike a glance after she said her goodbyes. She stormed out of the café with rage in her steps.

Spike was baffled. _What the hell was that about?_ He looked back to Willow and Xander and released a groan at the meaningful look they gave him. "Be back later." He muttered under his breath.

* * *

"Buffy, wait!" Spike jogged after her but she just quickened her pace. "Buffy!" He grabbed at her arm, gripping her so harshly that Buffy winced. She jerked her arm away.

"Why are you acting like this?" Buffy scoffed.

"Last time I checked I was coming here to spend time with you and our friends, not to be invisible. But then, you just _had_ to invite your new friends to join us." Spike restrained an exasperating groan at her jealousy. He was getting tired of her insecurity.

"Xander and Willow didn't mind."

"Well, I do!" She almost yelled.

"Why? Because your little, insecure mind told you so?"

"No, because every time I want to be with you, you always have other plans with them."

"Buffy, you work practically all the bloody time! How am I supposed to know when you'll be free? And don't ever think that I never wanted to be with you, because from what I remember, you would rather spend your free time helping your mother. For God's sake, Buffy, you're still in high school!"

"You don't under—"

"Oh, don't give me that mother-daughter bonding crap!" He _finally_ said it. He was sick of her reasoning and he finally told her to her face.

Buffy gritted her teeth so hard they hurt. She clenched her fists together tightly, anger rushing through her blood. _Oh, no, he didn't understand._ He would never understand what it was like to be her. How she used to wish to be someone else. How she wanted to be him or her friends instead.

"I'm not like you, Spike. I haven't had the privilege of coming home every day, knowing that one of my parents would always be there. Knowing that I would be able to at least communicate with them for a minute. God, I rarely have a chance to even see my mother long enough to argue with her! If you only knew how much I envy your relationship with Giles. How you both can spend time having breakfast and reading the paper together in the morning. My mom couldn't even stay in the same room with me longer than five minutes!" She looked away, holding back her tears. She almost lost control, her emotions overwhelming her.

Pausing, she took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts. "I don't regret having to work during most of my free time if it means that I can be in the same room with my mom for any length of time. I think you should know that."

A few seconds ago, Spike was feeling sorry for her. But the words she just spoke now had him unsure of how to react. Still, he stood there and listened to her.

"I do try to cut back my hours, try to finish my job sooner so that I can be with you. And maybe I still can if those girls stop keeping you away from me."

Spike was bewildered. This was ridiculous! A few seconds ago, she was pouring her heart out. But now, she was faulting others for the problems that were occurring between them.

"Oh, so you're blaming my friends now? Buffy, I'm grateful I have them as friends. I go out with them and talk to them because I can't talk to anyone. Not even you."

"What about Willow and Xander?!" Spike scoffed at that.

"Yeah, if they're not busy shagging each other." He shook his head, ridiculed by her. "You _can't_ put the blame on someone else when you're upset. You got mad when you were ignored. Well, congratulations! Now you know how I've felt since you took that job." Buffy widened her eyes, her anger reignited.

"What is this, revenge?"

"No, I'm trying to make a point! God, to think that we used to be best friends! But we couldn't hold our libido back so we began shagging each other silly like bunnies and now everything is all fucked up." He glared at her.

Buffy's jaw dropped open in shock. "A-are you regretting what we have?"

"No, I never said I regretted what we have. Jesus, Buffy…" He couldn't think clearly any more. She just kept making everything harder, turning all the words he said against him.

Buffy was at a loss for words. She wasn't sure where this whole thing was heading. Hell, she had even forgotten how it all started. All of her fears and doubts came back to her, and she was almost afraid to close her eyes. Her voice came out as a whisper when she finally spoke. "What happened to us, Spike? We used to be very close. And now, we're just two strangers."

He snapped his eyes open as he glared at her, his jaw clenched tightly as he looked her coldly in the eyes. "Maybe it's all a mistake. A big, bloody mistake. Maybe I do regret it if that means I'm losing my best friend."

Spike didn't bother to wait for her reaction as he walked away. He stopped when her question rang almost inaudibly to his ears. "Is…is this the end of us?"

He looked over his rigid shoulder but not enough to let her see that his face was red with anger or see the agony which was present in his eyes. "What do you call it when one of us is never there?" With that, he resumed his pace, leaving her standing numbly there with silent tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

_to be continued._


	31. Chapter 30: All Broken Apart

(A/N: I know the update is going very slow. But please bear with me as RL keeps kicking my ass away from computer and internet. All I can say is have a faith in me cause this story _will_ have a happy ending. Oh well, let's just cross our fingers, shall we? ;) ) 

**Chapter 30: All Broken Apart**

Spike smashed the clock against the wall. Its wires stuck out as the clock bounced from the wall and landed on the floor, joining the other broken items. He breathed heavily, staring inquisitively at the silent wall. He switched his gaze to the trashed bed; it kept its words to itself. Looking at his surroundings, he couldn't find any more things to destroy, to express his anger and devastation and anguish. He cursed at the silence in the room, because it gave him time to relive their last conversation in front of the Espresso Pump.

_Fuck!_

He couldn't remember what had happened between them. The only thing he remembered was that Buffy was being selfish. Yes, she was being selfish the entire time and it made him mad that when he finally confronted her about it, their situation worsened. Spiraled down further and further to the point that it now cost them their relationship.

_Fuck her and her jealousy._ He had put up with her and he had enough of it. Did she do her share? No. She would never know that every time she was busy, he became lonely. He tried to understand her but she didn't want to understand him.

Was it wrong of him to make new friends who happened to be female? Yes, it was wrong to her because she was being selfish and she wouldn't stop questioning his new friends and his mutual friendship.

He slumped to the floor, body leaning on the end of the bed. He hadn't cried since Drusilla betrayed him. His body was tired from anger and distress. He missed her. He missed the old her.

* * *

Tara and Anya stepped down the stairs cautiously, looking around at the darkened room. They both had decided to check up on Spike when he never returned to their table at the Espresso Pump. Their eyes widened and they glanced at each other as they observed the chaotic room. They rushed toward the young man slumped on the floor by the end of the disarrayed bed.

"Spike? A-are you okay?" Tara asked softly.

"Spike, what's wrong?" Anya brushed a hand on his head, her other hand trying to pry his arm away from covering his face. Spike looked up at them groggily, his eyes were red and bleary. He bowed his head down again, his elbows resting back to his knees. The girls put their arms around him, their heads leaning against his as they comforted him in silence.

Buffy's body felt numb except for her feet that were acting on autopilot, bringing her back home. She opened the front door weakly, her thoughts jumbled in her mind. She disregarded her mother's greeting; her feet now carried her up the staircase. Joyce's voice sounded questioningly in her ears, yet Buffy ignored her. She kept on walking up the stairs, through the hall until she reached her room and closed the door behind her.

Buffy made her way to her bed and sat down, her eyes drawing a blank. For a long minute, she tried to sort out her feelings but failed. Something caught her attention as she looked down at her lap. A tear fell onto the back of her hand and she blinked the rest of her tears back quickly. She shifted her gaze to the nightstand. A small recorder with a cassette inside was laying on it. She reached for the recorder and crawled onto her bed, her body curled into a ball. Pressing the play button, she choked on her cry at the first message to which she listened.

_"Buffy, luv. It's me again. God, I miss you. I know it's pathetic. But I can't help it. I know I sound like a poofter, but I'll always be a helpless poofter when it comes to you. pause I wish you could be here more. So yeah, I'm missing you. A bloody lot."_

* * *

Willow stared at the white bedroom door and sighed deeply. Joyce had called her twenty minutes ago, telling her it was urgent and that she needed her to come over as soon as possible. Willow had suspected it was all about Buffy and she was right. Joyce told her that Buffy had acted strangely when she came home. She had tried to coax her daughter to tell her what had happened but Buffy never responded. Buffy only cried on her mother's lap and then fell asleep.

Willow felt sorry for Joyce. She could see the helpless look on the older Summers' face. Joyce had pleaded with her to talk to her daughter. She felt that Buffy might be more comfortable speaking with her best friend, as Joyce realized she rarely talked to her daughter about her social life.

Willow took a deep breath before she raised her fist and knocked on the door. She didn't hear any response but decided to enter the room anyway.

"Hi, Buffy." She greeted her best friend softly. Buffy responded to her in a weak tone. She raised her upper body and sat up on her bed. Her hair was a mess and she had upset lines drawn on her facial features.

Willow attentively sat close to Buffy and put her hands on her lap. "How are you feeling?" God, what a stupid question! She felt so retarded asking her that.

Buffy gave her a tight smile. "Horrible."

"I'm really sorry, Buffy. I shouldn't have asked that. That was a stupid question."

"It's okay, Will…"

"I mean I saw the whole thing. I should've known better…that it wasn't good. I— Oh god, I made you feel worse." Willow immediately felt guilty when she saw Buffy's face fall at the mention of the incident.

Buffy forced a weak smile. She hung her head low as she brushed a thumb on the comforter. "Everything's gone bad. And I think I'm the one to be blamed."

"No, it's not…" Willow protested quickly.

"Yes, it is. You're just trying to comfort me…Thanks anyway." Willow smiled kindly and squeezed Buffy's hand in consolation. She let go of Buffy's hand when her eyes caught a picture which was perched on the nightstand. Its frame was made of old-fashioned silvery metal with a touch of elegance. Willow knew how much Buffy loved that photo frame. After Willow and Buffy bought it from a flea market, Buffy had said that she was going to use it to put the one picture that she would look at before she went to sleep.

Willow smiled as she traced a line on the frame. "I remember this picture. I took it, didn't I?"

Buffy took the photo from Willow and sighed dejectedly. "Yes, you did." She confirmed in a whisper. She bit her lip as she stared down to the picture of her and Spike lying on the sand, sleeping. Her head was resting against his chest as they wrapped their arms around each other. Before, it had looked so sweet. Now it would only make Buffy burst out crying whenever she saw it.

"Buffy…" Willow began carefully. "Talk to him. If you think it's your fault, don't you want to straighten everything out? Apologize to him if you must. Or-or just talk to him again." Willow sighed when Buffy stayed quiet. "I know there's a possibility that you can't work out your relationship again. But at least don't end it this way! You can always go back to being friends, right?" Buffy was still quiet. Willow shook her head in frustration, her patience was growing thin. "He is your best friend, Buffy!"

"He used to be." Buffy finally responded.

"Don't you want him to be again?"

Buffy nodded weakly, her lips trembled when she whispered, "Yes." Willow's features softened. She gave a comforting squeeze to both of Buffy's hands.

She spoke again, this time in a soft tone. "You know I can't watch you two fall apart. You both are my best friends. Please, Buffy, talk to him? He's as miserable as you are, Xander told me."

Buffy looked up to Willow and sniffled. She smiled faintly and nodded. Willow's smile beamed and she open her arms to hug her friend. "Thank you." She said in relief.

__

__

_to__ be continued._


End file.
